m 


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' 


THE    JEANNETTE 


COMPLETE    AND    AUTHENTIC 


NARRATIVE    ENCYCLOPEDIA 


OF    ALT.   VOYAGES    AND    F.XPF.DrTIONS  TO 


THE  NORTH   POLAR   REGIONS, 


CONTAINING   A 


COMPLETE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  MOST  REMARKABLE  EXAMPLES  OF  HEROISM, 
ENDURANCE  AND  SUFFERING  ON  RECORD. 


EMBRACING    THE    BIOGRAPHY     AND    VOYAOF.S    OF 


FRANKLIN,   KANE,  HAYEg,  HALL,   AND   DE  LOj^Q, 


WITH    AN   ACCOUNT  OF   THE   DEVELOPMENT   OF   ARCTIC   NAVIGATION    THROUGH   THE   VOYAGES   OF   THE 

NORSEMEN,    THE   CABOTS,    GILBERT,  DAVIS,    BARENTZ,    HUDSON,  BAFFIN,    BEIIRING,    MACKENZIE, 

COOK,  SCORESBY,  PARRY,  WRANGELL,  ROSS,  NARES,    NORDENSKIOLD,  SCHWATKA,    SMITH, 

YOUNG,    AND   MANY   OTHERS;   AN   ACCURATE    DESCRIPTION   OF   ALL   IMPORTANT 

SCIENTIFIC    AND   GEOGRAPHICAL   DISCOVERIES   EVER   MADE   IN   THE 

FROZEN  NORTH. 


CAPT.  RICHARD  PERRY. 

V- 


ELEGANTLY  ILLUSTRATED  WITH  TWO  HUNDRED  ENGRAVINGS. 


SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL.: 


v>. 


- 


COPYRIGHTED    BY 

THE  COBURN  &  COOK  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 


Press  and  Types  of  Blakely,  Marsh  &  Co.,  Electrotypes  of  A.  Zeese  &  Co., 
Donohue  &  Henneberry,  Binders. 


£ 


PRRFAQB.. 


The  universal  interest  in  Arctic  exploration  which  has  oeen  aroused 
by  the  melancholy  fate  of  the  Jeannettc,  her  commander,  and  so  large  a 
portion  of  her  crew,  has  suggested  the  writing  of  this  work.  While  this 
lias  been  its  direct  and  immediate  inspiration  it  was  deemed  advisable  to 
enlarge  its  scope  so  as  to  include  similar  and  correlated  voyages  from  the 
earliest  period. 

It  has  been  written  in  sympathy  with  the  heroic  efforts  of  the 
explorers  who  in  every  age  have  labored  in  this  field  for  the  enlarge- 
ment of  human  knowledge. 

The  general  interest  in  literature  of  this  kind  is  legitimate  and  even 
commendable.  A  wholesome  and  bracing  intellectual  tonic,  it  energizes 
the  mind.  The  reading  of  such  works  cannot  produce  other  than  good 
results.  Free  from  the  tedium  of  minute  chronology  and  burdensome 
detail,  they  possess  all  the  most  attractive  elements  of  history,  biography 
and  travel — a  triple  combination  unsurpassed  even  by  poetry,  fiction 
or  romance. 

The  taste  of  the  artist  and  the  skill  of  the  engraver  have  been 
brought  into  requisition  to  enforce  and  illustrate  the  information  con- 
veyed, adding  a  charm  and  value  that  will  be  readily  appreciated  by 
every  reader. 

In  the  hope  that  this  work  will  contribute  its  share  toward  driving 
out  of  general  circulation  the  mass  of  poisonous  trash  that  is  suffered  to 
represent,  or  misrepresent,  our  current  literature  among  such  multitudes 
of  the  youth  of  our  land,  it  is  herewith  respectfully  submitted  to  the  kind 
consideration  and  patronage  of  the  public. 


LIST  OF  AUTHORITIES. 


The  Following  Works  have  heen  used  in  the  Preparation  of  this  Volume: 


Encyclopaedia  Britannica. 

Appleton's  American  Cyclopaedia. 

Chambers'  Encyclopaedia. 

Zell's  Encyclopaedia. 

Johnson's  Encyclopaedia. 

Newman's  America. 

Bancroft's  History  of  the  United  States. 

Lippincott's  Pronouncing  Gazetteer  of  the  World. 

Lippincott's  Pronouncing  Biographical  Dic- 
tionary. 

Bates'  Countries  of  the  World. 

Illustrated  Travels.     (Six  vols.) 

Whymper's  Sea.     (Four  vols.) 

Heeren's  Works. 

Wheaton's  Explorations. 

Irving's  Columbus.     (Three  vols.) 

Frobisher's  Three  Voyages. 

Voyages  to  Cathay  and  India. 

Raleigh,  Discovery  of  Guiana. 

Hakluyt's  Voyage  to  America. 

De Veer's  Three  Voyages  to  China. 

Hawkins*  Voyages. 

Maynarde's  Drake's  Voyages. 

De  Veer's  Voyages  of  Wm.  Barentz. 

Cooley's  Maritime  Inland  Discoveries.  (Three 
vols.) 

Life  of  Frobisher. 

Phipp's  Voyage  to  the  North  Pole. 

Life  of  Sir  John  Franklin. 

Franklin's  First  Voyage. 

Franklin's  Second  Voyage. 

Wrangell's  Arctic  Voyages. 

Parry's  Three  Voyages. 


Voyages  of  Sabine  and  Clavering. 
Back's  Arctic  Land  Expedition. 
Lyon's  Private  Journal  of  Arctic  Voyages. 
Hartwig's  Polar  World; 
Verne's  Historic  des  Grands  Voyages. 
Inglefield's  Summer  Search  for  Franklin. 
Richardson's  Search  for  FVanklin. 
Mayne's1  Voyages  to  Arctic  Regions. 
M'Clure's  Discovery  of  Northwest  Passage. 
Elder's  Life  of  Kane. 
Kane's  First  Grinnell  Expedition. 
Kane's  Second  Grinnell  Expedition. 
Hall's  Arctic  Researches. 
M'Clintock's  Voyage  in  the  Arctic  Seas. 
Tytler's  Discoveries  in  the  Polar  Seas. 
Leslie's  Discoveries  in  the  Polar  Seas. 
Adventures  of  British  Seamen. 
Hayes'  Open  Polar  Sea. 
Hayes'  Pictures  of  Arctic  Travel.      ' 
Markham's  Arctic  Works. 
Sonntag  in  Search  of  Franklin. 
Tyson's  Arctic  Experiences. 
Koldcwey's  German  Expedition.     (Two  vols.) 
Weyprecht  and  Payer's  Voyages. 
Nares"  Polar  Voyage. 
Nordenskiold's  Voyage  of  the  Vega. 
History  of  Shipwrecks. 
The  New  York  Herald. 
Harper's  Magazine. 
Scribner's  Monthly. 

The     Library  Magazine,    and   Contemporaneous 
Papers  anil  Magazines  generally. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  F. 

EARLY  EXPLORERS I7-&S 

CHAPTER  I. 

Conceptions  of  the  Ancients — Voyage  of  Pytheas — Discovers  Thule — Origin  of  the  Norseman — • 
Political  Development — A  Career  of  Piracy — Greenland  and  Iceland  Colonized — Incidental  Discovery 
of  North  America. 

CHAPTER  II. 

Portuguese  and  Spanish  Discoveries — Portuguese  Voyages  to  North  America — Voracity  of  the 
Spanish — Results  of  Columbus'  Discovery — Voyage  of  the  Cabots — First  Voyage  Around  the  World 
— Voyage  to  La  Plata — French  Voyages. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Search  for  Northeast  Passage — Voyage  of  Chancellor — Enterprise  of  Muscovy  Company. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Search  for  Northwest  Passage  Resumed — Frobisher's  Load  of  Gold — Two  Voyages  of  Gilbert — 
Gilbert  Shipwrecked — Hawkins,  the  Slave-Trader — Drake  Sails  around  Cape  Horn. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Davis  Sent  Out — Trades  with  Natives  of  Greenland — Great  Danger  in  the  Ice — Passes  Hudson's 
Bay — Raleigh  in  Search  of  Gold — Disappointment — Confined  in  the  Tower. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Voyages  of  the  Dutch — Northeast  Passage  Again — Barentz  Reaches  Orange  Islands — Gerrit 
De  Veer — Sickness  and  Death — Surrounded  by  Bears  and  Foxes — Reappearance  of  the  Sun — Burial  of 
Barentz — Voyage  of  Van  Noort — Fight  with  Patagonians — Defeat  the  Spanish. 

PART  II. 

EARLY  ARCTIC  VOYAGES 69-158 

CHAPTER  VII. 

First  Arctic  Voyage  under  Bennet — Kill  Many  Walruses — Walruses  Brought  to  England — 
Voyage  of  Knight  in  the  Hopewell — Attacked  by  Savages — Voyages  of  Hudson — Fourth  and  Last 
Voyage  of  Hudson. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Voyage  of  Poole---Biscayan  Whale  Fishers — Button  in  Search  of  Hudson — Hall's  Voyage  to 
Greenland — Commercial  Voyage  Under  Baffin — F'otherby — Bylot — Discovery  of  Baffin's  Bay. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Voyages  of  Dutch  Resumed — Manhattan  Island  Occupied — First  Voyage  Around  the  Horn — 
Voyage  of  Munk — Casks  Burst  by  Frost — Voyage  of  the  May  Flower. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Voyages  of  Fox  and  James — Enterprise  of  Bristol  Merchants — Marvelous  Escape  from  Icebergs — 
Reach  Open  Water — Land  on  Charlton  Island — The  Ship  Sunk — Building  a  Boat — Suffering  and  Death 
— The  Boat  Launched — Poem  of  James — The  Return  Voyage. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

An  Interval  between  Arctic  Voyages — Wintering  in  the  Arctic  Region — Death  of  Mayen — 
Other  Dutch  Voyages — Captain  RaevnTLoses  his  Ship — Brutality  of  a  Dutcn  Captain — Which  Is  the 
Way  to  India? 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Northwest  Voyage  of  Gillam — Alleged  Discovery  of  a  Northwest  Passage — Hudson's  Bay 
Company  Chartered — A  Pilot's  Story  of  the  North  Pole— Voyage  of  Wood — Wreck  of  Wood's  Shin- 
James  Knight — Report  of  Indians  Concerning  Mines. 

CHAPTER  XIH. 

Arctic  Voyages  of  the  Russians  — Voyage  of  the  Cossack  Deshniev — Conquest  of  Kamchatka 
— Attempted  Reduction  of  the  Tchuktchis. 

'  VII. 


VIII.  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Voyage  of  Behring — Start  for  Kamchatka  River — Discovery  of  Behring' s  Strait — Reach  Land  on 
American  Side— Investigations  of  Steller — Fright  of  a  Native  at  the  Taste  of  Brandy — Reduced  by 
Sickness — Behring  Disabled — The  Ship's  Company  Divided — A  Stranded  Whale — Death  of  Behring. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Swaine  Starts  from  Philadelphia — Explorations  of  Labrador — Arctic  Exploration  by  Hearne — 
Instruments  Destroyed  by  Wind — Maltreatment  of  Esquimaux — Arctic  Voyage  of  Phipps — Reaches 
Spitzbergen.' 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Cook's  Enterprise  for  Discovering-  Northwest  Passage — Leaves  Plymouth — Extensive  Barter  with 
Natives — Arrive  at  Sandwich  Islands — Outrages  of  the  Hawaiians — Captain  Cook  Murdered — Ap- 
proval of  Cook  by  Royal  Society — Capt.  Clerke  bikes  Charge  of  the  Expedition — Market  Furs  in 
Canton. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

English  and  Danish  Voyages — Frobisher — Pond — Mackenzie — Discovers  Mackenzie's  River  — 
Godthaab  Colony  Founded — Scoresby  Makes  First  Voyage  to  Greenland — William  Scoresby,  Jr.,  be- 
gins Seafaring  Life— Voyage  to  Spitzbergen  Seas — Numerous  Remains  of  Animal  Life— Scoresby 
Publishes  Account  of  His  Travels — Necessity  the  Mother  of  Invention — Discovers  Cape  Hope — Inau- 
gurates the  Use  of  Boats  and  Sledges. 

PART  III. 
THE  FIRST  ARCTIC  VOYAGES  OF  THE  ipTH  CENTURY 159 — 370 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Buchan  in  Dorothea  and  Trent — Dorothea  Nearly  Destroyed  in  the  Ice — Isabella  and  Alexander 
under  Command  of  Ross  and  Parry — Encounter  Esquimaux — Phenomenon  of  Red  Snow — Enter  Lan- 
caster Sound — Ross  Orders  a  Return. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

First  Voyage  of  Parry — Object  of  the  Voyage — Enter  the  Arctic  Circle — Beset  in  the  Ice  - 
Reach  Possession  Bay — Prince  Regent  Inlet  Named — Cape  York. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Trials  and  Pastimes  of  an  Arctic  Winter — Health  Regulations — An  Arctic  Newspaper — An 
Arctic  Theater — Daily  Occupations — Total  Absence  of  the  Sun — The  Appearance  of  Scurvy — Mock 
Suns — More  Theatricals — Extracts  from  an  Arctic  Journal — A  Shower  of  Rain. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Struggle  with  Ice — Banks'  Land  Discovered — Provisions  Destroyed — Out  of  Danger — Parry 
Orders  Full  Rations  for  His  Crew — The  Return  Homeward — Visit  from  Esquimaux — Description  of 
Native  Dress  and  Manners — Arrive  in  England. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Early  Life  of  Franklin — Wounded  at  New  Orleans— Statement  of  the  Objects  of  Franklin's 
Three  Voyages— Embarks  on  First  Voyage  —The  First  Iceberg — Interesting  Experiments  —A  Leak  in 
the  Ship — Trade  with  Esquimaux — Arrive  at  Fort  York — Make  Ready  for  Overland  Journey. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Franklin's  Journey  to  Ft.  Chippewyan — Procuring  Guides — Speech  of  an  Indian  Chief — The  Re- 
sources of  the  Party— Start  for  the  Coppermine  —The  Chief  Refuses  to  Proceed — Canoe  Party  Sent  to 
the  Coppermine---A  Pedestrian  Trip — Return  of  Both  Parties. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Journey  to  the  Coppermine — Visit  to  the  Copper  Mountains — Curious  Adventure  of  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson— Embarking  on  the  Polar  Ocean— Pt.  Turnagain— The  Return — Terrible  Sufferings  of  the 
Party — Dr.  Richardson  Risks  His  Life  to  Save  the  Party— -Arrival  at  Ft.  Enterprise. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Russian  Arctic  Voyages — Laptew  Brothers — Failure  of  Schalarow-  -  -Remains  of  Mammoth — Arc- 
tic Voyages  of  Billings — Plundered  by  Natives — Frequency  of  Animal  Remains — Kotzebue's  Voyage 
— Unwelcome  Hospitality — A  Unique  Island. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Russian  Expeditions — Wrangell — Wood  Hills— Descent  of  the  Lena -Father  Michel— Clothing 
for  Winter  Procured --Start  for  Cape  Schelagskoi— A  Sledge  Loaded — Tenting  in  the  Arctic  Re- 
gions—Severe Cold— Return  River — Trading  Brandy  to  Natives — A  Siberian  Fair — Unwelcome 
Hospitality— A  Tchuktchi  Dance. 


CONTENTS.  IX. 

CHAPTER  XX  VII. 

Wrangell's  Second  Sledge-Journey — Encounter  with  a  Bear — A  Salt  Moor — Surplus  Provisions 
"  by  Bears— Return  to  Lower  Kolvmsk — Summer  Occupations— Almost  an  Acci- 


Deposited — Attacked  by  Bears — Return  to  Lower  Kolymsk — Summer  Occup 
dent — Winter  at  Nishni  Kolymsk. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Wrangell's  Third  Sledge-Journey — Easter  Sunday — Views  the  Open  Sea — Explore  th 
— Meet  Kosmin — Importunity  of  Bereshnoi — Generosity  of  a  Jakut — Return  to  Kolymsk. 


ie  Tundnis 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


Wrangell's  Fourth  Sledge-Journey  —  Start  for  Great  Baranicha — Rumors  of  a  Northern  Conti- 
nent—Afloat — Wraiigell  Sees  the  Arctic — Danger — Meet  with  Matinschkin — A  Native  Speculator — 
Serfdom— Close  of  Wrangell's  Efforts. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Parry's  Second  Voyage  to  the  Northwest — Sharp  Natives — Cairns  Discovered — Numerous  Dis- 
coveries— Exploration  in  Boats — In  Winter  Quarters— Theatricals  as  a  Pastime — Esquimaux  Snow 
Huts — Intelligence  Among  Natives — A  Northern  Geographer — Killed  by  a  Fall. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Parry  Attempts  to  Free  His  Ships — Iglooklik  Island — A  Necropolis — Supposea  Discovery  of  the 
Polar  Sea— Hecla  and  Fury  Strait — Gluttony— Unusual  Phenomenon— Melville  Peninsula  Explored — 
Successful  Angling — Still  Beset — Death  from  Scurvy — Welcome  at  Shetland  Islands. 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Second  Voyage  of  Franklin — State  of  Arctic  Science---Preparations  and  Plan---Death  of 
Franklin's  Wife- --Franklin  Plants  His  Flag  on  an  Arctic  Island---Fort  Franklin- --Descend  the  Mac- 
kenzie---Separation  of  the  Two  Parties- --Serious  Adventure  with  Esquimaux- --The  Boats  Plun- 
dered-'-Franklin's  Return- --Success  of  Richardson- --Return  to  England. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Parry's  Third  Expedition- --Slow  Progress- --New  Ice  Encountered ---The  Fury  Swept  Away--- 
Winter  at  Port  Bowen---Observations---Huntmg---Capture  of  a  Whale---The  Fury  Aleak---In- 
specting  the  Ships- --The  Fury  Abandoned- --Report  to  the  Admiralty. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Arctic  Voyage  of  Sabihe  and  Clavering---Hammerfest---Cod-fishmg---Discovery  of  Pendu- 
lum Islands- --Proceed  to  Cape  Parry---Life  of  Sabine. 

CHAPTER   XXXV. 

Lyon's  Arctic  Voyage---Rowe's  Welcome- --Lyon's  Prayer  for  Help- --Safety- --Return  to 
England. 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Beechey's  Arctic  Voyage — Sail  from  Spithead---Kotzebue  Sound---Remarkable  Phenomena--- 
Return  Reef ---Journey  Homeward. 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Parry  in  Search  of  the  Pole---Plan  for  Sledge-Journey---ReindeerTravel---Graves  Discovered — 
Mussel  Bay---Fine  Weather- --The  "Enterprise  and  "Endeavor"---Reindeer  Abandoned---Arrive 
at  Hecla  Cove- --Relief ---The  Character  of  Polar  Ice. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

Ross'  Second  Voyage — Employed  by  Felix  Booth — James  C.  Ross — First  Use  of  Steam  in  Arctic 
Voyages — Lancaster  Sound — Nipped  in  the  Ice — In  Winter  Quarters — Visited  by  Esquimaux — Ex- 
hausted Teams — Provisions  Reduced — Magnetic  Pole  Discovered. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

Back's  Arctic  Journey — Leaves  Liverpool — Fort  Resolution — Great  Fish  River — An  Arctic  Resi- 
dence— Akaitcho — A  Sledge -Journey — Passing  Rapids — Cape  Richardson — Voyage  in  the  Terror — 
The  Terror  Nipped  in  the  Ice — Imprisoned — A  Masquerade — Increase  of  Leakage — Free  Again. 

CHAPTER  XL. 

Dease  and  Simpson  in  North  America — Winter  at  Fort  Confidence — Shooting  Escape  Rapid — 
Cape  Pelly — Richardson's  River — Montreal  Island — Middendorf  in  Taimur  Peninsula — Descends  the 
Yenesei — Samoyeds — Hunting  Butterflies — Arctic  Animals — Taimur  Lake — Left  Alone — Farewell  to 
the  Taimur. 


X.  CONTENTS. 

PART  IV. 


F  KAN  KLIN    AND   SEARCH   VOYAGES  .............................................................  S?1"?^ 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

Franklin's  Last  Voyage  —  Temerity  of  Franklin  and  Party—  Chosen  by  the  Admiralty  —  The 
Erebus  and  Terror  —  Last  Intelligence  of  Franklin—  Franklin's  Favorite  Theory  —  The  Search  —  Com- 
ments on  Arctic  Science. 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

Search  for  Franklin  —  Last  News  —  Three  Expeditions  Planned  —  Expedition  under  Richardson 
and  Rae  —  Instructions  of  the  Admiralty  —  Arrive  in  America  —  A  ">oublesome  Songster  —  Methy  Por- 
tage —  A  Cache  —  Mendacious  Esquimaux. 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

Richardson's  Journey  Toward  the  Coppermine  —  An  Early  Winter  —  A  Reasonable  Theory  —  Con- 
jectures—Return to  Fort  Confidence  —  Plan  for  the  Summer  —  Rae's  Expedition  —  Confer  with  Esqui- 
maux —  Return  to  the  Coppermine—  Interpreter  Drowned  —  Lost  in  the  W  iods—  Approval  of  the 
Admiralty. 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 

Expedition  under  Sir  James  C.  Ross  —  Instructions  of  the  Admiralty  —  Preparations  —  Upcr- 
navik  —  In  a  Pack  —  Maxwell  Bay  —  A  Novel  Expedient  —  Spring  Occupations  —  Three  Surveying  Parties 

—  An  Arctic  House  —  Wellington  Channel  —  Nipped  —  Imprisoned  —  A  Miraculous  Escape  —  A  Forced 
Retreat  —  Comments  on  Arctic  Navigation. 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

Expedition  via  Behring's  Strait  —  The  Herald  and  Plover  —  Pullen's  Boat  Journey  —  Lancaster 
Sound  —  Great  Preparations  —  Discoveries  —  The  Prince  Albert  Returns  to  England  —  Sledge-Journey  — 
The  Prince  Albert—  A  Critical  Situation—  Winter  on  Board  the  Prince  Albert. 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

Search  under  McClure  and  Collinson  —  The  Enterprise  and  Investigator  Sent  Out  Again  —  Around 
Cape  Horn  —  Sandwich  Islands  —  In  Kotzebue  Sound  —  Alone  in  the  Arctic  —  A  Cairn  Erected  —  A  Light- 
Fingered  Native  —  Aground  —  A  Cool  Reception  —  A  Novel  Chronology  —  False  Hope  —  Northwest  Pas- 
sage Predicted. 

CHAPTER  XLVH. 

Signs  of  Winter  —  Beset  —  Prepared  for  Danger  —  Wintering  in  the  Arctic  —  Polar  Hunting  Grounds 

—  Summer  Again  —  Prince  Albert's  Cape  —  The  Enterprise  —  Anxiety  in  England  —  Relief  Expeditions  — 
A  Second  Winter  in  the  Arctic  —  The  Search  —  The  Discovery  —  Pirn's.  Reception  —  A  Happy  Crew  — 
Abandonment  of  the  Investigator. 

CHAPTER  XLVIH. 

Belcher's  Innovation  —  His  Instructions  to  Capt.  Kellett  —  Return  to  England  —  A  Court  Martial  — 
A  British  Writer's  Fancy  —  Osborn  and  Cator  —  Traces—  Report  of  Rae's  Discoveries  —  A  Thrilling 
Storv. 

CHAPTER  XI  IX. 

First  Grinnell  Expedition  —  Action  of  Congress  —  Benevolence  of  Mr.  Grinnell  —  Instructions  — 
Leave  New  York  —  Melville  Bay  —  In  a  Lead  —  Ice  -Navigation  —  Arctic  Flora  —  A  Fortunate  Escape. 

CHAPTER  L. 

A  Comparison  —  Meet  with  English  Squadron  —  Search  in  Concert  —  Graves  Discovered  —  Varying 
Conclusions  —  End  of  Summer  —  Together  Once  More—  Unpleasant  Information  —  An  Unexpected  Drift. 

CHAPTER  LI. 

Arrangements  —  Icy  Analogies  —  Depressing  Influence  —  Ingenious  Remedies  —  The  Histrionic  Art 

—  Threatened  bva  Berg—  The  Sun  Reappears  —  The  Ice-saw  —  The  Grand  Break-up--Toward  the  Green- 
land Coast  —  A  Short  Respite. 

CHAPTER  LII. 

A  Pleasant  Party  —  Cultivated  Tastes—  Dangerous  Feats  —  The  National  Day  —  Bound  for  the 
North  Again  —  Escape  from  Melville  Bay  —  Homeward  —  Results  of  the  Voyage. 

CHAPTER  LIU. 

Expedition  of  Inglefield  —  In  the  Navy  Yard  —  The  Crew  —  Adverse  Influences  —  At  Fiskernaes  — 
Greenland  Piety  —  Devil's  Thumb  —  Various"  Discoveries  —  Nearly  Shipwrecked  —  A  Watchful  Bear. 

CHAPTER  LIV. 

Biography  of  Kane  —  Early  Qualities  —  Formal  Education  —  In  Wretched  Health  —  Decides  upon 
a  Life  of  Celibacv  —  His  Love-Life  —  Criticisms. 


CONTENTS.  XI 

CHAPTER  LV. 


Theory  of  Kane — The  Pole  of  Greatest  Cold — His  Appointment  and  Instructions — His 
dlle  Bay — Smith's  Sound — Great  Peril — Extreme  Latitude — The  Advance  at  Anchor. 

CHAPTER  LVI. 


Kane  Leads  a  Boat  and  a  Sledge  Expedition — A  Greenland  River — The  Eightieth  Parallel — "The 
Same  Ice  Surrounds  Her  Still " — Preparations  for  Winter — A  Cache  Party — Accidents  at  the  Brig — 
Difficulties  of  Arctic  Observation — Hans,  the  Hunter — Return  of  an  Absent  Friend — A  Preliminary 
Survey — An  Unexpected  Return — Kane  Saves  the  Party. 

CHAPTER  LVII. 

Visit  from  Esquimaux — Native  Dishonesty — A  Journey  to  Humboldt  Glacier — Tennyson's 
Monument — Kane's  Strength  Fails — Moral  Power  of  Kane — Hayes'  Expedition — Morton  Discovers 
an  Alleged  Polar  Sea. 

CHAPTER  LVIII. 

Attempted  Journey  to  Beechey  Island — Preliminary  Council — Good  Fortune — Corrects  Ingle- 
field's  Errors — A  Storm 'on  the  Bay — An  Effort  for  Freedom — A  Record  Deposited — Departure  of 
Hayes  and  Party — A  Dangerous  Experiment — Esquimaux  Friendship — A  Primitive  Contract — Hayes' 
Party  Returns — A  Description  of  their  Wanderings — Kalutunah — Kane's  Wonderful  Buoyancy — A 
Diabolical  Plot— Its  Defeat. 

CHAPTER  LIX. 


Parting  from  Friends--Hans  Proves  Susceptible --Embarking- -A  Feast--~A.  Seal  Killed—The  Annual 
Oil  Boat- -Arrival  at  Upernavik—Hartstene  s  Search- -Kane's  L: 


Kane  Determines  to  Abandon  the  Brig—Removal  of  Boats  and  Sledges--To  the  Water's  Edge-- 
ids--Hans  Proves  Susceptible --Embarking- -A  Feast--  ' 
.t  Upernavik—Hartstene  s  Search- -Kane's  Last  Days. 

CHAPTER  LX. 

McClintock  in  Command  of  the  Fox — His  Choice  of  Officers — Caught  in  the  Pack  of  Baffin's 
Bay — A  Winter  in  the  Ice — Arrive  on  King  William's  Island — Hudson  Discovers  a  Record — A  Mourn- 
ful Inference — Two  Skeletons — A  Curious  Medley — Testimony  of  the  Esquimaux  Woman — Impor- 
tance of  McClintock's  Investigations. 

CHAPTER  LXI. 

Hall's  First  Voyage — A  Generous  Offer — Mr.  Grinnell's  Agency — Kudlago — At  Holsteinberg — 
To  Northumberland  Inlet — Runaways — The  Black  Eagle — A  Transformation — A  New  Use  of  the 
Tongue. 

CHAPTER  LXH. 

Chappell  Inlet — A  Grief-Stricken  Daughter — A  Deserted  Village — A  Delicacy — Wreck  of  the 
Rescue — The  Georgiana  Saved — Cant.  Parker — Tookoolito — A  Generous  Offer — A  Sudden  Change — 
A  Strange  Custom — In  a  Starving  Condition — Robbed  by  Dogs — Hall  Takes  up  his  Residence  with 
Innuits. 

CHAPTER  LXIII. 

A  Deer  Killed  by  Dogs — Frozen  to  Death — The  Approach  of  Spring — Bayard  Taylor  Pass — A 
Native  Historian — The  Breeding  Place  of  the  Deer — The  "  Dreaded  Land  " — Subsistence  in  Arctic 
Regions — An  Unsafe  Boat —  An  Important  Journey  Postponed. 

CHAPTER  LXIV. 

The  Ship  Free — A  Series  of  Adventures — Iron  Island — Jones'  Cape — Cape  Stevens — Fresh 
Waters — Peale  Point — Jordan's  River — The  Return — Coal — Countess  of  Warwick's  Sound — Home- 
ward Bound. 

PART  V. 
RECENT  POLAR  EXPEDITIONS 587-736 

CHAPTER  LXV. 

Theory  of  Hayes — Announces  his  Plan — Subscriptions — A  Present — The  Start — Icebergs — Th 
Kayak — Proven — Upernavik — Strange  Scenes — Cape  York — A  Gale — Almost  a  Wreck — Hartstene  Bav 

CHAPTER  LXVI. 

Hayes  in  Winter  Quarters — Manifold  Preparations — An  Ice  Fiord  Explored — "  Brother  John's 
Glacier" — Sonntag  Surveys  the  Glacier — A  Well  Filled  Larder — An  Arctic  Journal — Knorr's  Speech — 
Unusual  Weather — A  Serious  Calamity — Aurora  Borealis — Search  for  Sonntag — Account  of  Sonntag's 
Disaster. 

CHAPTER  LXVII. 


XII  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

German  Expedition  under  Koldewey — The  Plan  of  Dr.  Petermann — Eulogy  on  Koldewey — 
Departure  from  Bremerhaven — Separation  from  the  Hansn — A  Series  of  Dangers — Wreck  of  the 
Hansa — The  Coal  House — The  Drift  on  the  Ice— An  Alarm — Danger  from  Starvation — Arriving- at 
Frederichstahl — At  Home. 

CHAPTER  LXIX. 

The  Germania  in  East  Greenland — The  Bienenkorb — Clavering  Island — Shannon  Island — A 
Question — ASledge-Jour-ney — Fligely  Fiord — Kuhn  Island — The  Germania  Moored  for  Winter — Relics 
of  a  Decayed  Community — Attacked  by  a  Bear — Wide  Experience  with  Animal  Life — An  Encounter 
with  Walruses — The  Germania  Becomes  Free — Return  to  Germany. 

CHAPTER  LXX. 

Hall's  Second  Voyage — Discovers  Relics  of  Franklin — The  Polaris — Officers  Selected  for  Third 
Voyage — Ebierbing  and  Tookoolito — A  Difference  of  Opinion — The  Highest  Point — Last  Words 
Penned  by  Hall — Sledge -Journey  to  the  North — Sickness  anl  Death  of  Hall— Comments  on  Hall — The 
Polaris  in  Danger — Nineteen  Persons  Left  on  the  Ice — A  Drift  of  Nearly  Ten  Degrees. 

CHAPTER  LXXI. 

Adventures  of  Tyson  and  Party  on  the  Ice — Msver  S  .vept  Away — An  Agony  of  Suspense — The 
Inevitable  Gale  Again — A  Sight  of  the  Stars — Rescued  at  List— Experience  of  the  Polaris  Crew — The 
Ship  Abandoned— On  the  Ocean  in  Boats — Picked  up — Arrive  at  Dundee. 

CHAPTER  LXXII. 

Austro- Hungarian  Expediti'm — A  Pioneer  Expedition — The  Isbjorn — Inferences — Tegetthoff — 
Arctic  Scenes — Beset — The  Floe  Cracks — A  Terrible  Watch — A  House  on  the  Ice — Great  Discoveries — 
Fall  of  a  Sledge — Franz -Josef's  Lmd — A  Necessary  Conclusion — March  to  the  Sea — Saved  by  a  Rus- 
sian Whaler. 

CHAPTER  LXXIII. 

English  Expedition  under  Nares — The  Alert  and  Discovery  Boring  Through  the  Pack— The 
Elysium  of  the  Arctic  Regions  —Maxim  of  Ross — Th j  Discoverv  Finds  Winter  Quarters — The  Sea 
of  Ancient  Ice — Winter  Amusements — Death  from  Exposure --Exemption  of  Officers  from  Disease 
— Markham's  Sledge  Journey — Reaches  the  Highest  Point  Ever  Attained — Palaeocrystic  Ice — Nares 
Concludes  to  Return  to  England — Epitaph  on  the  Grave  of  Hall. 

CHAPTER  LXXIV.  , 

Schwatka  Expedition — The  Eothen — Officers  and  Crew — In  King  William's  Land — Confirm- tion 
of  Rae's  Testimony — Grave  of  Lieut.  Irving — Ho  na ge  fro.n  A  nerica  and  Great  Britain. 

CHAPTER  LXXV. 

Sweden  in  Arctic  Explorations — Nordenskiold's  Numerous  Polar  Voyages  — The  Sofia  in  King's 
Bay — Voyage  to  the  Mouth  of  the  Obi — Samoyed  Tents — A  Problem  in  Navigation  Solved — Nor- 
denskiold's Preparation— His  Sledge -Journeys— Funds  Provided— The  Vega  Purchased. 

CHAPTER  LXXVI. 

Furnishing  and  Managing  of  the  Vega — The  Lena—The  Frazer— The  Express- -The  Vega 
Leaves  Gothenburg- -First  Scientific  Notes- -Dwarfed  Trees --Barentz'  House  Discovered  — Chabarova— 
Samoyed  Life--Their  Dealings  with  the  Russians- -The  Household  Gods  of  the  Samoyeds--A  Tadibe. 

CHAPTER  LXXVII. 

The  Vega  Continues  Her  Voyage  to  the  Northeast- -Cape  Polander— King  Oscar  Bay—The  Old 
Problem  Solved— The  Northernmost  Point  of  Asia— Animal  Life— The  Vega  and  Lena  Part  Com- 
pany--New  Ice  Begins  to  Form  Around  the  Vega- -Tchuktchis  — Life  Among  the  Natives --Reach 
Cape  Onman. 

CHAPTER  LXXVIII. 

The  Vega  in  Winter  Quarters-— The  Usual  Preparations- -The  Average  Cold- -The  Home  of 
Honesty— Nordenskiold's  Excursion  to  Pidlin— Celebration  of  Christmas-- Visitors  at  the  Vega- 
Auroral  Displays— Comments  on  the  Animal  Life  of  the  Region— A  Tchuktchi  Graveyard --The  Ap- 
proach of  Release. 

CHAPTER  LXXIX. 

Freed  from  Her  Moorings-  -Diomede  Island— St.  Lawrence  Island --Nordenskiold  Reaches  a 
Telegraph  Station— At  Yokohama— A  Series  of  Festivals  — At  Hong  Kong— Ceylon- -Christmas  at 
Sea— The  Suez  Canal— A  R-eception  at  Boulogne—The  Grand  Celebration —Comments  on  the 
Expedition. 


CONTENTS. 

PART  VI. 

THE  JEANNE-FTE 737-835 

CHAPTER  LXXX. 
Some  Comments  on^Arctic  Navigation—Its  Retrospect,  Dangers,  and  Prospects--The  Desire  of 

ortsmouth. 
CHAPTER  LXXXI. 


James  Gordon  Bennett—The  Pandora -- Her  Voyage  uuder  Allen  Young- -At  Dfsco— At  Upernavik  — 
Discovery  of  Sir  John  Ross"  Yacht,  Mary--Northumberland--Arrive  at  Por 


Mr.  Bennett  Purchases  the  Pandora- -Expense  of  the  Expedition—The  Crew--Lieut.  DeLong's 
Letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy— Her  Departure  from  San  Francisco  Bay--A  Graphic  Descrip- 
tion—At Ounalaska— TDeLong  Communicates  Varied  Information  to  the  Secretary. 

CHAPTER  LXXXII. 

From  Ounalaska  to  St.  Lawrence  Bay— Soundings  —  Relief  Watches-- Off  Stuart's  island— The 
Stock  of  Dogs—Civilized  Costumes- -A  Volcanic  Region—A  Hunting  Party  from  the  Jeannette  — A 
Russian  Bath—The  Fanny  A.  Hyde— A  Forced  Treaty  with  the  Canines— Visited  by  Tchuktchis- -De- 
Long's  Dispatch. 

CHAPTER  LXXXIII. 

The  Jeannette  Enters  the  Arctic— Arrives  at  Kolyutchin  Bay— First  Bear  and  Seal  Killed—The 
Jeannette  Firmly  Frozen  in—Danenhower's  Statement- —The  Winter  Night  Begins- -Herald  Island  in 
Sight— The  Jeannette  Helpless  and  Crippled  — Conjectures  as  to  the  Jeannette's  Fate— Continued 
Apprehension. 

CHAPTER  LXXXIV. 

Jeannette  Relief  Expedition  in  1880— The  Corwin— Capt.  Hooper- -At  Ounalaska- -An  Impene- 
trable Wall-A  Frightful  Scene  of  Desolation-A  Ship  Apprehended -The  Lotila-A  Wreck-The 
Corwin  Sights  Wrangell  Land- -The  English  Relief  Yacht,  Eira--  Failure  of  the  Expedition- -Second 
American  Relief  Expedition- -The  Gulnare— An  Adverse  Report— Refitted  and  Manned— A  Disas- 
trous Delay— Further  Hindered  by  the  Elements --An  Abortive  Effort. 

CHAPTER  LXXXV. 

The  Jeannette  in  the  Extremity  of  Peril— Anxiety  on  Shipboard— Near  Wrangell  Land  — Chipp's 
Soundings —  Extracts  from  the  Jeannette's  Log— The  Ice  Bored—A  Party  of  Explorers— Discoveries  — 
A  Thick  Fog- -The  Last  Entry  in  the  Log. 

CHAPTER  LXXXVI. 

Second  Voyage  of  the  Corwin— Her  Officers- -Enter  the  Arctic — Struggles  to  Reach  Wrangell 
Land—Cruise  of  the  Rodgers— Commander  Berry's  Letter— Land  on  Herald  Island— Burning  of  the 
Rodgers-The  Rodgers  Party  Board  the  North  Star-The  Eira  Again-The  Alliance. 

CHAPTER  LXXXVII. 

The  Jeannette  Disappears  from  Sight— A  Plan  of  Escape— Parties  Detailed— Hardships-- 
Making for  the  Land --Cape  Emma- -The  Three  Boat- Loads— Thaddeus  Island— The  Adventure  of 
Chipp  and  Kuehne— A  Deer-Hunt— Danenhower's  Last  Talk  with  Chipp— No  Other  Boats  in  Sight. 

CHAPTER  LXXXVIII. 
DeLong's  Cutter  Reaches  the  Coast— His  Diary  of  Misfortunes— Alexai  Sees  a  Hut— Onlv  a 


Chipp— DeLong's  Diary  Closes— Death  of  Most  of  the  Party— Danenhower's  Story. 
CHAPTER  LXXXIX. 

The  Loss  of  the  Jeannette  Proclaimed  — Melville  Starts  in  Search  of  DeLong— His  Plan— Mel- 
ville Finds  the  Bodies  of  DeLong  and  Party- -Gilder's  Storv- -Their  Common  Grave— No  Traces  of 
Chipp—  The  Survivors  Return  Home—Caskets  For  warded  —  F"ormal  Examination  of  Danenhower  and 
Melville— Schemes  to  Reach  the  Pole— Polar  Scientific  Congress. 


LIST  OF.  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Pago. 

THEJEANNETTE  CRUSHED  IN  THE  ICE.     (Frontispiece.) 

NORSE  VIKING 22 

NORSE  SHIPS.    (Full  Page.) 25 

STONE  TOWER  AT  NEWPORT 2b 

COLUMBUS' FIRST  SIGHT  OF  LAND.    (Full  Page.) 31 

CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS  32 

COLUMBUS  UNDER  ARREST.     (Full  Page.) 33 

SEUASTIAN  CABOT.    (Full  Page.) 36 

JACQUES  CARTIER 39 

FROBISHER  PASSING  GREENWICH.     (Full  Page.) 44 

PoitTitAiT  OF  FROBISHER 40 

CODFISHING  ON  THE  BANKS  OF  NEWFOUNDLAND.       (Full    Page.) 4$ 

SIR  WALTER  RALEIGH 55 

MOCK  SUNS  AS  SEEN  BY  BARENTZ.    (Full  Page.) Oi 

HENRY  HUDSON 74 

VIEW  ON  THE  HUDSON 75 

CAPE  HORN 90 

LANDING  OF  THE  MAY  FLOWER ...  93 

BUILDING  A  BOAT.    (Full  Page.) 100 

TCHUKTCHIS  BUILDING  A  HUT.    (Full  Page.) 122 

ESQUIMAUX  HOUSE.    (Full  Page.) 127 

STRANDED  WHALE.     (Full  Page.) 134 

WILLIAM  SCORESBY 15,6 

SIR  JOHN  Ross , 162 

DOROTHEA  AND  TRENT.    (Full  Page.) 163 

SIR  WILLIAM  EDWARD  PARRY 169 

MOCK  SUNS.     (Full  Page.) 181 

GROUP  OF  CHILDREN.    (Full  Page.) 192 

SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN 199 

FORT  ENTERPRISE.    (Full  Page.) ...20^ 

DR.  RICHARDSON'S  ADVENTURE  WITH  WOLVES.     (Full  Page.) 213 

PERRAULT  DIVIDING  HIS  STORE.    (Full  Page.) 217 

SKELETON  OF  MAMMOTH.    (Full  Page.) 224 

BARON  VON  WRANGELL 231 

SIBERIAN  DOG-SLEDGE.    (Full  Page.) 233 

ATTACKED  BY  BEARS.    (Full  Page.) 247 

SEA  BEARS  OF  SIBERIA  259 

DRESS  OF  NATIVE. 26S 

AN  ARCTIC  SCENE.    (Full  Page  ) 270 

ESQUIMAUX  SNOW  VILLAGE.     (Full  Page.) --273 

ILIGLIUK ..' 279 

ESQUIMAUX  FISHING.    (Full  Page.) 2t>4 

ESQUIMAUX  CHILD'S  DRESS.    293 

SUN  AT  MIDNIGHT,    (Full  Page.) 299 

ARCH  IN  ARCTIC  REGIONS.    (Full  Page.) 315 

SLEIGH  DRAWN  BY  SINGLE  REINDEER 322 

MUSSEL  BAY  325 

PLAN  OF  ARCTIC  SLEDGE.    (Full  Page.) 327 

KITCHEN  AT  FORT  RELIANCE 350 

THE  TERROR  NIPPED  IN  THE  ICE.    (Full  Page.) 355 

XIV. 


fLL  US  TRA  7 IONS  X  V 

Page. 

SAMOYED  CHIEFTAIN.    (Full  Page.) 367 

BUST  OF  FRANKLIN.     (Full  Page.) 371; 

ESQUIMAUX  OF  NORTH  AMERICA 386 

BEAR  ATTACKED  BY  WOLVES.     (Full  Page.) 393 

IN  A  LEAD.     (Full  Page.) 401 

PERILS  OF  SLEDGE  TRAVEL 413 

ARCTIC  HARES 424 

H.  M.  S.  INTREPID  ICED  IN.     (Full  Page.) 428 

CUTTING  ICE  DOCKS.     (Full  Page.) 435 

RELICS  OF  FRANKLIN.     (Full  Page.) 436 

ARCTIC  TOOLS 445 

ARCTIC  PLANT  (actual  size) 447 

ON  BEECHEY  ISLAND 452 

SHOOTING  SEALS •» 458 

FISKERN^ES.     (Full  Page.) 477 

Dr.  E.  K.  KANE.    (Full  Page.) 483 

SMITH'S  SOUND 494 

GLACIER  SEEN  BY  KANE 498 

KANE  IN  WINTER  QUARTERS.    (Full  Page) 501 

WILLIAM  MORTON ---Sio 

WATCHING  FOR  A  SEAL 518 

CATCHING  BIRDS 520 

KALUTUNAH,  AN  ESQUIMAUX  CHIEF.     (Full  Page.)   523 

HANS,  WIFE, AND  RELATIVES. 528 

OFF  TO  THE  OPEN  SEA 530 

STATUE  OF  FRANKLIN.     (Full  Page.) 542 

CHARLES  FRANCIS  HALL 547 

CAPT.  SIDNEY  O.  BUDDINGTON 553 

INNUIT  WOMAN'S  HEAD  DRESS 569 

OPHIURID  OF  NORTHERN  SEAS.     (Full  Page.) 579 

EBIERBING,  TOOKOOLITO,  AND  CHILD.     (Full  Page.) 583 

DR.  I.  I.  HAYES 591 

BROTHER  JOHN'S  GLACIER 601 

THE  LITTLE  AUK 604 

POINT  ISABELLA 619 

WHALE  SOUND.    (Full  Page.) 620 

DEVIL'S  CASTLE.    (Full  Page-) 625 

EAST  GREENLAND  VILLAGE 633 

ENCOUNTER  WITH  WALRUSES.     (Full  Page.) 638 

HIGHEST  POINT  ACHIEVED  BY  THE  POLARIS 642 

BURIAL  OF  HALL 645 

GRAVE  OF  HALL 647 

CAPT.  GEORGE  E.  TYSON 653 

GROUP  OF  SURVIVORS  OF  TYSON'S  RAFT.     (Full  Page.) 6^4 

PERILOUS  SITUATON  OF  THE  POLARIS 659 

START  OF  PAYER'S  SLEDGE  EXPEDITON.     (Full  Page.) 665 

TRANSPORTING  WOOD  FOR  THE  HOUSE 667 

FALL  OF  SLEDGE.    (Full  Page.) 670 

DISCOVERY  BAY 631 

GRAVE  OF  LIEUT.  IRVING 689 

PROF.  A.  E.  NORDENSKIOLD ..692 

SAMOYED  ENCAMPMENT.     (Full  Page.) 695 

THE  CLOUD  BERRY 702 

DWARFED  TREES  IN  SIBERIA 703 

BARENTZ'  HOUSE,  EXTERIOR  AND  INTERIOR.    (Full  Page.) 705 

SAMOYED  SLEDGE » 707 

ARCTIC  HAIR-STAR 712 

STAR-FISH  OF  NORTHERN  WATERS 714 

CHRISTMAS  EVE  ON  BOARD  THE  VEGA.    (Full  Page.) 723 

AURORAL  DISPLAY  SEEN  FROM  THE  VEGA.    (Full  Page.) 726 


A'  VI.  ILL  USTRA  T1ONS. 

Page. 

THE  JEANNETTE  IN  SAN  FRANCISCO  BAY.     (Full  Page.) 742 

LIEUT.  GEORGE  W.  DELONG 749 

THE  JEANNETTE  PASSING  GOLDEN  GATE.     (Full  Page.) 751 

JEROME  J.  COLLINS 756 

LIEUT.  JOHN  W.  DANENHOWER 769 

LIEUT.  CHARLES  W.  CHIPP 782 

WILLIAM  M.  DUNBAR 785 

BURNING  OF  THE  ROGERS.    (Full  Page.) 798 

PARLIAMENT  HOUSE  AT  REIKIAVIK 801 

ARCTIC  SLEDGE 804 

DR.  J.  M.  AMBLER r 806 

DEPARTURE  OF  NINDERMAN  AND  NOROS.     (Full  Page.) 808 

RAYMOND  L.  NEWCOMB .- 811 

GEO.  W.  MELVILLE , • 816 

EXTERIOR  OF  CONVICT  HUT  IN  SIBERIA 821 

GROUP  OF  SURVIVORS  OF  JEANNETTE  EXPEDITION.     (Full  Page.) 825 

MELVILLE  FINDING  DE  LONG  AND  PARTY.     (Full   Page.) 828 

GRAVE  OF  DE  LONG  AND  PARTY.     (Full  Page.) 831 

JEANNETTE  SEARCH  EXPEDITION 830 

COMMANDER  CHEYNE'S  PLAN  FOR  REACHING  THE  POLE 833 

MAP  OF  POLAR  REGIONS.    (Full  Page.) 835 

TAIL  PIECES 

THREE  SHIPS 28 

HEAD  OF  NATIVE 51 

HEAD  OF  NATIVE ' .,    57 

SLEDGE  PARTY 68 

NATIVE  ON  SNOW  SHOES 81 

GREENLAND  PILOT 94 

GULLS 104 

ICEBERG 1 1 1 

SLEDGE  PARTY 119 

DRAGGING  THE  BOAT 124 

GOTHIC  ICEBERG 167 

ARCTIC  DRESS 187 

OOMIAK 203 

CAMP  LIFE 219 

HEAD  OF  TCHUKTCHI 228 

SEAL-SKIN  CUP 256 

CHILD'S  SLEDGE 265 

EWERAT,  A  SORCEROR .' ••277 

THE  WALNUT  SHELL , 295 

BALE  OF  PEMMICAN 310 

ESQUIMAUX  KNIFE 330 

A  GREAT  AUK 345 

ESQUIMAUX  MOTHER 379 

HEAD  OF  WALRUS 387 

HEAD  OF  ESQUIMAUX  DOG 414 

HEAD  OF  REINDEER 431 

THE  ARCTIC  OWL 449 

ESQUIMAUX  SPEAR 459 

CAUGHT  IN  A  TRAP 488 

ARCTIC  AQUATICS 496 

DOG  SHOE 505 

KANE'S  FAVORITE  DOG .' 512 

ESQUIMAUX  WOMAN'S  KNIFE 533 


PART   I. 


EXPLIIHEKS.-»4 


"  When  swords  are  gleaming  you  shall  see 

The  Norseman 's  face  flash  gloriously, 
With  looks  that  make  thefoeman  reel; 

His  mirror  from  of  old  was  steel. 
And  still  he  wields  in  battle"1  s  hour 

That  old  Thorns  hammer  of  Norse  power; 
Strikes,  with  a  desperate  arm  of  might, 

And  at  the  last  tug  turns  the  fight, 
For  never  yields  the  Norseman.  " 


CHAPTER  I. 

CONCEPTIONS     OF     THE    ANCIENTS VOYAGE    OF    PYTHEAS DISCOVERS 

THULE ORIGIN    OF     THE     NORSEMEN- — POLITICAL     DEVELOPMENT 

A   CAREER    OF    PIRACY — GREENLAND   AND    ICELAND    COLONIZED 

INCIDENTAL    DISCOVERY    OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 

Although  with  the  discovery  and  colonization  of  Greenland  and  Ice- 
land by  the  Noi'semen,  practically  begins  our  knowledge  of  the  Arctic 
seas,  the  secrets  of  the  hidden  North  had  long  been  a  favorite  theme  of 
speculation.  The  fruitful  imaginations  of  the  ancients  attached  marvel- 
ous features  to  this  mysterious  region. 

It  was  the  region  of  darkness,  but  as  in  the  succession  of  events  day 
sprung  from  night,  so  in  their  thought  did  light  and  its  benefits  emanate 
from  the  North.  Here  the  Hindoos  located  the  dwelling-place  of  their 
deities,  where  those  divine  beings  veiled  their  godlike  attributes  in 
misty  obscurity.  Here  dwelt  the  gods  of  Scandinavia  ;  and  from  here 
they  directed  watchful  eyes  to  guard  and  protect  the  interests  of  their 
worshipers.  When  the  Aurora  Borealis  shed  its  soft  light  over  the 
frosty  earth,  dispelling  with  its  radiant  glory  the  gloom  of  night,  then 
the  simple  minds  of  the  people  discovered  in  the  sky  the  dreadful  shapes 
of  their  gods,  and  trembled  and  rejoiced. 

Thus,  too,  the  father  of  history  relates  how  the  Hyperboreans — "  of  all 
the  human  race,  the  most  virtuous  and  happy,  dwelt  in  perpetual  peace 
and  delightful  companionship  with  the  deities,  under  cloudless  skies,  in 
fields  clothed  with  perpetual  verdure,  where  the  fruitful  soil  yields  twice- 
yearly  harvests,  its  blest  inhabrtants  attain  extreme  old  age,  and  at  last, 
when  satiated  with  life,  joyfully  crown  their  heads  with  flowers,  and 
plunge  headlong  from  the  mountain  steeps  into  the  depths  of  the  sea." 

But  all  this   belongs    to  tradition    and    song   rather   than  to   history. 

The  happiness  we  crave  is  instinctively  located  in  some  far-off,   unattain- 

19 


20  VOYAGE   OF  PTTHEAS. 

able  place,  and  the  existence  of  this  tendency  may  explain  the  facts 
above  recorded.  All  the  certain  knowledge  which  nations  of  antiquity 
had  of  northern  territories  may  be  very  briefly  summarized,  for  as  yet 
compass  and  sextant  were  unknown,  and  the  few  intrepid  adventurers 
that  dared  at  all  to  brave  the  fury  of  the  sea,  did  so  almost  blindfolded, 
and  at  the  peril  of  their  lives.  The  Tynans  and  Phrenicians  had  left 
their  native  shores  to  find  in  other  regions,  the  wealth  which  their  own 
rugged  coasts  yielded  so  scantily.  Carthage  had  been  founded  on  the 
coast  of  Africa  ;  and  the  Greeks,  in  the  traditional  voyage  of  the  Argo, 
had  wreathed  themselves  with  glory  and  given  a  subject  for  many  a 
pleasing  song  ;  but  none  as  yet  had  ventured  to  try  the  dark  regions  of 
the  North,  and  its  secrets  remained  its  own,  to  be  unlocked  bv  the 
genius  and  bravery  and  invention  of  more  modern  times. 

Thus,  all  records  by  northern  historians  of  the  events  occurring 
before  the  Christian  era  may  be  set  down  as  mythical  or  uncertain  ;  for 
classical  antiquity  exhibits  a  very  obscure  notion  of  the  geography  of 
Europe  beyond  the  German  Ocean.  This  is  illustrated  in  the  fact  that 
the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans  considered  Scandinavia  an  island,  or 
cluster  of  islands  in  the  Northern  Seas  ;  and  other  ideas,  equally  erroneous, 
suffice  to  show  the  obscurity  in  classic  times  which  clothed  this  unex- 
plored region. 

The  first,  and  for  a  long  time  the  only  voyage  to  northern  regions, 
recorded  by  any  nation  of  letters,  was  made  by  Pylheas  of  Marseilles — a 
Greek  colony  in  France. 

The  date  of  Pytheas,  who  was  the  most  celebrated  navigator  of  his 
time,  is 'approximately  placed  at  330  B.  C.,  making  him  about  contem- 
poraneous with  Alexander  the  Great.  He  is  the  only  explorer  of  the 
pre-Christian  period,  who,  so  far  as  we  may  judge  from  authentic 
records,  at  all  approached  in  spirit  the  heroes  of  modern  navigation. 
Regarding  his  birth  and  the  circumstances  of  his  private  life  we  have 
little  or  no  trustworthy  information  ;  but  what  is  more  important  to  us 
in  this  connection,  we  know  that  he  explored  the  Northern  Seas  of 
Europe.  The  ancient  geographers,  like  conservative  pedants  of  a  more 
recent  period,  professed  to  place  little  reliance  on  his  statements.  Both 


DISCOVERS   THULB.  21 

Polybius  and  Strabo  treat  him  with  the  utmost  severity  and  ridicule, 
and  mention  his  accounts  as  absurd  and  incredible — a  proceeding  quite 
customarily  following  any  important  discovery  on  land  or  sea,  in  mind 
or  matter,  philosophy  or  art.  "Absurd  "  has  echoed  through  the  ages, 
as  the  response  of  the  ignorant  to  what  has  been  contrary  to  their  pre- 
conceived notions. 

Modern  writers  are  inclined  to  set  more  value  on  the  accounts  of 
Pytheas,  as  well  as  on  all  of  the  best  known  ancient  writers.  We 
gather  that  he  sailed  through  the  English  Channel,  and,  after  leaving 
Britain,  a  voyage  of  six  days  to  the  North  brought  him  to  an  island 
which  he  called  Thule,  where  he  says  the  sun  never  descends  below  the 
horizon  for  a  certain  period  at  the  summer  solstice.  This  statement 
would  apply  to  Iceland,  but  the  incredulous  are  supposed  to  identify 
his  island  with  one  of  the  Orkneys,  because  it  seems  unlikely  that  Pyth- 
eas could  have  reached  Iceland  in  six  days.  In  Greek  enumeration, 
as  in  our  own,  an  error  of  transcription  is  very  easy  ;  and  it  is  more 
rational  to  look  for  a  mistake  there  than  to  reject  a  fact  of  observation 
which  is  certainly  not  applicable  to  the  Orkney  Islands  ;  these,  more- 
over, are  several  in  number,  and  are  so  close  to  the  mainland,  as  not 
properly  to  fall  under  the  description  of  being  six  days'  sail  from  Britain. 
Some  have  thought  that  he  had  come  upon  a  portion  of  Norway  or 
Denmark,  but  the  evidence  of  this  is  not  conclusive.  He  visited  some 
island  at  least,  and  probably  named  it  from  his  native  telos,  meaning  the 
goal  or  the  farthest  point. 

Pytheas  afterward  entered  the  Baltic,  and  reached  a  river  which  he 
called  Tanais,  which  critics  believe  to  be  the  Elbe.  Here  he  found  a 
people  who  made  use  of  amber  instead  of  wood,  and  as  that  substance  is 
still  found  in  large  quantities  in  Prussia,  thei'e  is  little  doubt  that  he  must 
have  visited  that  part  of  Europe.  He  gave  an  account  of  his  voyages  in 
two  works — "  Description  of  the  Ocean  " — which  contains  his  voyage  to 
Thule,  and  "  Periplus,"  or  circumnavigation.  He  seems  to  have  been 
the  first  to  determine  the  latitude  of  a  place  from  the  sun's  shadow,  and 
the  first  to  suspect  that  the  tides  are  influenced  by  the  moon.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  he  had  more  of  the  spirit  of  discovery  and  observation  than 


22 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  NORTHMEN 


his  untraveled,  though  scholarly,  critics,  and  with  the  light  of  modern 
research  and  the  aid  of  modern  appliances,  such  a  spirit  would  doubtless 
have  done  much  to  unravel  the  tangled  skein  of  northern  mysteries. 

The  true  inception  of  Arctic  discovery  has  already  been  referred  to 
the  Norsemen,  whose  developments  and  achievements  we  may  now  do 
well  to  consider. 

VOYAGES   OF  THE   NORSEMEN, 

The  Norsemen,  or  Northmen,  were  known  to  the  ancients  as  Scan- 
dinavians, a  more  distinctive  and  appropriate  designation  which  again 
bids  fair  to  become  current 
in  our  own  day.  Some 
words  are  like  fashions  in 
clothing,  they  are  discarded 
for  a  time,  but  in  a  genera- 
tion or  two  are  once  more 
brought  into  use  because  of 
some  special  appropriate- 
ness or  utility.  Every  town, 
city,  county,  state,  nation, 
or  other  geographical  dis- 
trict may  have  its  North- 
men, but  Scandinavians  or 
Norsemen  are  a  special 
class  of  Northmen.  Norse- 
men is  to  be  preferred  for 
its  terseness,  and  because 
Scandinavian  has  an  appearance  of  being  sometimes  used  in  a  more 
limited  sense  than  is  here  proposed.  The  original  horde  from  which 
they  sprung  seems  to  have  been  among  the  last  of  the  swarms 
which  migrated  from  the  highlands  of  Central  Asia,  the  original  home  of 
the  Indo-European  or  Aryan  family  of  races.  In  those  early  days  when 
they  began  to  look  around  them  f<5V  a  new  home,  they  found  by  their 
migratory  experience,  if  not  otherwise,  that  their  elder  brothers,  the  Per- 


NORSE  VI -KING. 


SEA-LIFE   OF   THE  NORSEMEN.  23 

sians,  Greeks,  Latins,  Celts  and  Sclavs,  had  seized  the  southern  and  cen- 
tral portions  of  Asia  and  Europe,  and  there  remained  but  the  lands  of  the 
inhospitable  North.  These  they  overspread,  subduing  the  earlier  inhab- 
itants, the  stunted  and  swarthy  Finns  of  the  great  northern  peninsula. 
This  was  an  overland  migration,  and  the  immigrants  had  no  knowledge 
of  ships. 

In  the  eighth  century  of  our  era  they  had  so  increased  and  multiplied 
that  they  might  be  said  to  have  beeji  compelled  to  renew  their  travels, 
this  time  by  water.  Meanwhile  they  had  learned  to  build  and  use  ships. 
The  cold  hillsides  of  their  native  land  had  been  brought  into  rude  culti- 
vation to  supplement  the  more  fertile  plains.  But  still  they  grew  and 
multiplied  and  necessity  taught  them  to  find  in  their  inlets  and  bays  a 
valuable  addition  to  their  stores  of  food.  Fishing,  the  natural  introduc- 
tion to  seafaring,  is  calculated  to  produce  hardy  and  dexterous  seamen. 
And  we  find  that  the  Norse  leaders  and  their  crews,  when  they  sprung 
into  the  foreground  of  mediaeval  history,  were  bold  and  skillful  mariners, 
brave  and  active  fighters,  and  ever  ready  to  face  danger  in  pursuit  of 
spoils.  They  were  more  than  a  match  for  the  agricultural,  manufactur- 
ing and  commercial  nations  round  about  them.  Their  agriculture  was 
scant,  and  of  trade  and  manufacture  they  were  ignorant.  If  to  these  be 
added  the  all-pervading  influence  of  a  religion  which  taught  that  death  in 
battle  was  but  a  passage  to  the  happy  immortality  of  Valhalla,  we  have 
a  combination  of  the  conditions  necessary  to  form  a  conquering  people. 
As  is  usual  in  the  early  history  of  nations,  they  are  found  divided  into  a 
number  of  tribes  or  clans  under  petty  kings  or  chiefs.  At  the  actual 
period  of  their  historic  inroads  they  were  just  passing  into  the  more  pre- 
tentious form  of  consolidated  monarchies,  with  the  chiefs  of  the  old  reg- 
ime crystalizing  into  the  hereditary  nobles  of  the  new,  and  especially  of 
the  rank  known  in  their  language  as  jarls,  in  ours,  earls.  Though  polit- 
ically subordinate  to  the  sovereign,  these  earls  retained  much  of  their 
former  power  in  their  relations  to  those  beneath  them.  Whether  by  the 
term  vikings  we  are  to  understand  these  chieftains — as  if"  vice-kings" — 
or,  as  seems  more  probable,  "  fiord-folk's,"  it  is  certain  that  leaders  and 
people  alike  were  enterprising  and  brave. 


24  PIRACY. 

It  was  soon  found  that  the  relatively  luxurious  and  effeminate  deni- 
zens of  southern  lands  could  be  easily  induced  by  a  little  show  of  violence 
to  purchase  their  lives  by  the  surrender  of  a  portion  of  their  w'ealth,  or 
be  made  easy  victims  to  the  hardihood  and  daring  of  those 

"  Grim  vikings,  who  found  rapture 
In  the  sea-fight,  and  the  capture, 
And  the  life  of  slavery," 

to  which  they  reduced  such  as  were  not  rich  enough  to  pay  a  ransom. 

The  Norse  vikings,  with  no  wealth  but  their  ships,  no  hope  but  their 
swords,  swarmed  upon  the  ocean,  plundered  every  district  they  could 
approach,  and  for  several  centuries  spread  blood,  rapine  and  misery  over 
the  nations  of  Europe.  All  their  habits,  feelings  and  associations  were 
ferocious.  They  regarded  piracy  and  plunder  as  the  most  honorable 
method  of  securing  wealth.  Raw  flesh  was  a  toothsome  delicacy,  pity 
was  weakness,  and  tears  were  unmanly.  They  relieved  the  monotony 
of  the  regular  occupation  of  killing  and  plundering  adults  by  a  sort  of 
sportive  game  in  which  they  tossed  from  lance  to  lance,  with  wonderful 
dexterity  and  precision,  helpless  infants  wrenched  from  the  arms  of  their 
slaughtered  mothers.  They  knew  no  glory  but  the  destruction  of  their 
"enemies  "or  victims.  When  they  fell  upon  a  district  they  not  onlv 
robbed  it  of  its  accumulated  wealth,  but  destroyed  the  growing  crops 
with  ruthless  barbarity.  Peaceful,  prosperous  and  civilized  communities 
had  a  very  special  value  as  a  rich  harvest  to  be  gathered  all  the  more 
easily  because  of  the  refinement  of  the  owners. 

With  the  exception  of  the  warlike  Franks  inured  to  war's  alarms 
and  encouraged  by  a  long  array  of  military  successes  under  their  great 
Karl  (Charlemagne),  Europe  lay  at  the  feet  of  the  freebooters  of  the 
North.  To  do  them  justice,  however,  or  rather  to  enforce  the  law 
which  impels  man  to  postpone  the  hazard  of  his  life  until  all  peaceful 
means  of  support  are  exhausted,  we  call  the  reader's  attention  to  the  fol- 
owing  fact.  Before  entering  on  a  career  of  piracy,  the  Northmen  had 
sought  to  peacefully  colonize  the  cold,  inhospitable  regions  of  Iceland 
and  Greenland,  as  well  as  the  more  genial  but  circumscribed  regions  of 


25 


36  GREENLAND  AND  ICELAND  COLONIZED. 

the  Faroe,  Shetland,  and  Orkney  Islands.  It  was  an  age  when  the  neces- 
sities of  a  surplus  population  appealed  to  the  law  of  the  strongest.  Our 
more  civilized  methods  of  piracy  do  not  so  harrow  human  sensibilities, 
but  the  law  of  "  might  gives  right,"  may  still  be  traced  by  any  one 
given  to  reflection. 

At  first  the  marauders  paid  only  flying  and  stealthy  visits  to  unpro- 
tected coasts;  but  afterward,  emboldened  by  success,  and  strengthened 
by  the  accessions  which  the  fame  of  their  exploits  and  the  resulting 
harvests  of  booty  brought  to  their  support,  they  made  deeper  inroads; 
and  finally  effected  permanent  lodgments  in  Russia,  England,  Ireland 
and  France.  In  Russia  they  were  known  as  Varangians,  that  is,  "  sea- 
warriors,"  who  gave  a  king  and  dynasty,  Rurik  and  his  successors,  to 
that  country.  In  England  and  Ireland  they  were  known  as  Danes;  and 
in  France  as  Normans,  where  they  became  possessors  of  Normandy, 
whence  too,  under  their  Duke  William,  their  descendants  invaded  and 
conquered  England  in  1066. 

Their  first  permanent  settlements  in  the  Faroe,  Shetland,  and  Orkney 
Islands  are  supposed  to  have  been  made  about  the  middle  of  the  ninth 
century.  In  Iceland  the  date  is  more  authentic,  being  placed  by  the  best 
authorities  in  A.  D.  874.  The  accidental  discovery  of  Greenland  fol- 
lowed two  years  later,  but  no  effort  at  colonization  seems  to  have  been 
made  until  985,  two  years  after  its  re-discovery  by  Eric  the  Red.  Ice- 
land became  self-governing  in  928,  and  remained  independent  until  1387, 
when  it  submitted  to  the  king  of  Denmark  and  Norway.  Greenland 
"prospered"  for  several  centuries,  receiving  its  first  bishop  in  1121,  and 
its  last  one  in  1406.  The  population  was  decimated  by  the  "  black 
death  " — and  that  of  Iceland,  also — and  it  could  no  longer  support  the 
expensive  luxury  of  a  bishop.  With  the  bishop,  in  1409,  doubtless  went 
the  annalist  of  the  colony,  as  there  is  no  further  record  of  Greenland  for 
nearly  two  hundred  years.  The  truth  probably  is  that  as  only  the  pres- 
sure of  over  population  at  home  could  have  reconciled  them  to  an  abode 
in  dreary  Greenland  and  frozen  Iceland,  so  when  that  was  removed  by 
the  "black  death,"  which  swept  off  25,000,000  of  the  population  of 
Europe  in  three  years  (1348-51),  there  were  no  new  accessions,  and  the 


INCIDENTAL  DISCOVERT  OF  NORTH  AMERICA.  37 

more  enterprising  and  active  of  the  survivors  in  both  colonies  may  have 
found  more  congenial  homes  among  their  kindred  in  Europe. 

Besides  these  authentic  voyages  of  the  Norsemen  to  Greenland  and 
Iceland,  there  are  some  alleged  voyages  to  the  latter  made  by  more 
southern  navigators.  There  is  a  story  of  the  Zeni  brothers,  of  Venice, 
who  are  said  to  have  explored  those  Northern  seas,  and  to  have  discov- 
ered certain  northern  islands,  one  of  which  is  conjectured  to  have  been 
Iceland.  And  it  is  even  possible  that  Columbus  himself  visited  those 
latitudes  fifteen  years  before  his  great  discovery;  for  in  one  of  his  letters 
is  found  this  statement:  "  In  1477  I  navigated  one  hundred  leagues 
beyond  Thule."  A  favorite  identification  of  the  Thule  of  Pytheas  of 
Marseilles  has  been  with  Iceland;  but  it  is  thought  that  mediaeval 
writers  may  have  rather  inclined  to  identify  it  with  the  largest  of  the 
Shetland  Islands. 

An  incidental  result  of  the  discovery  and  colonization  of  Iceland  and 
Greenland  referred  to  above,  was  the  discovery  of  the  continent  of  North 
America,  and  some  of  the  smaller  islands  along  the  coast,  although,  as 
is  well  known,  this  fact  led  to  no  very  permanent  results.  Biarne 
Herjulfson  is  said,  by  tradition,  to  have  sailed  from  Iceland  for  Green- 
land, in  986  A.  D.,  but  on  account  of  fogs  and  north  winds,  lost  his 
course  and  came  upon  the  coast  of  a  strange  land,  which  he  sighted  at 
different  times  in  a  northern  direction.  It  is  thought  that  he  came  upon 
the  Atlantic  coast  of  North  America,  perhaps  at  Newfoundland  or 
Labrador,  and  sailed  along  it  until  he  arrived  at  the  colony  of  Eric.  He 
did  not  land,  however,  until  Greenland  was  reached. 

.  In  the  year  1000  this  discovery  was  repeated  by  a  son  of  Eric  the 
Red,  who,  with  thirty-five  men,  explored  the  coast  of  North  America 
for  a  long  distance  from  north  to  south.  After  landing  at  a  spot  sup- 
posed to  have  been  Labrador,  he  sailed  to  the  south,  and  discovered  a 
pleasant  country,  which  was  called  Vinland,  from  the  abundance  of 
grapes  found  upon  it.  Here  they  spent  the  winter,  and  two  years  later 
Thorwald,  another  son  of  Eric,  visited  the  place  and  discovered  Cape 
Cod.  After  this  Vinland  was  quite  extensively  colonized  from  Green- 
land and  was  variously  visited  by  Norse  voyagers.  The  colony  was 


28 


SUPPOSED  RELICS   OF  THE   NORSEMEN. 


supported  for  a  few  years,  but  owing  to  the  fierce  attacks  of  the  natives, 
the  enterprise  was  finally  abandoned.  A  son  born  to  Karlsefne,  the  head 
of  the  Vinland  colony,  was  the  first  child  born  to  European  parents  on 

guished  families  of  STONB  TOWER,  AT'  NEWPORT.  old  stone  tower  at 

Newport,  Rhode  Island,  and  the  inscription  upon  Dighton  Rock,  which 
lies  upon  the  bank  of  Taunton  River,  are  memorials  of  the  visits  of  these 
Northmen. 

Such  a  beginning,  then,  had  the  series  of  adventures  to  whose  de- 
scription this  volume  is  devoted — adventures  which,  made  in  the  cause 
of  science,  and  requiring  the  highest  degree  of  manly  courage,  must 
thi'ill  all  with  their  dangerous  and  desperate  character. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PORTUGUESE    AND    SPANISH    DISCOVERIES PORTUGUESE     VOYAGES 

TO  NORTH    AMERICA VORACITY  OF  THE  SPANISH RESULTS  OF 

COLUMBUS'     DISCOVERY  —  VOYAGES     OF     THE     CABOTS  —  FIRST 
VOYAGE   AROUND  THE  WORLD VOYAGE  TO  LA  PLATA FRENCH 

VOYAGES. 

The  gradual  way  in  which  the  maritime  enterprise  of  the  Portuguese 
led  them  to  the  discovery  of  the  ocean  route  to  the  East  Indies,  marks 
the  distinctive  character  of  their  voyages.  The  final  result  was  the  slow, 
deliberate  and  laborious  outcome  of  several  previous  adventures  carried 
on  in  a  systematic  manner.  To  Prince  Henry,  surnamed  the  navigator, 
because  of  his  patronage  of  these  enterprises,  Portugal  was  largely  in- 
debted for  her  early  naval  supremacy  among  modern  nations. 

Madeira  was  discovered  in  1420;  Cape  Bojador  was  passed  in  1439; 
and  Cape  Verd  in  1446.  The  Azores  were  discovered  in  1448  ;  the 
Cape  Verd  Islands  in  1449,  and  St.  Thomas  in  1471.  In  1481  the  Pope 
granted  to  the  crown  of  Portugal  all  the  countries  which  the  Portuguese 
might  discover  beyond  Cape  Bojador.  In  1486  Bartholomew  Diaz, 
while  on  an  expedition  to  explore  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  was  driven 
by  high  winds  to  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Fish  River,  actually,  but  un- 
consciously, doubling  the  most  southern  point  of  Africa.  On  his  return, 
in  1487,  he  named  the  headland  Cape  Tarmentoso.  In  1497  Vasco  da 
Gama  doubled  Cape  Tarmentoso,  which  he  named  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  in  1498  arrived  in  India.  By  this  discovery  of  an  ocean  route 
to  India,  the  trade  of  the  East  was  diverted  from  the  old  channel  of  the 
Red  Sea  and  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  commerce  of  the  world  was 
revolutionized. 

Early  in  1500  Pedro  Alvarez  de  Cabral,  on  a  voyage  to  the  East 
Indies  by  the  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  fell  in  with  the  land  now 

29 


30  COR TEREAL—COL  UMB  US. 

known  as  Brazil,  and  promptly  took  possession  of  the  same  for  the  crown 
of  Portugal.  Two  Portuguese  voyages  to  North  America,  under  Gaspar 
Cortereal,  in  150x3  and  1501,  left  no  memorable  incidents,  except  his  cruel 
kidnapping  of  natives  on  the  first,  and  his  own  disappearance  on  the 
second.  A  third  voyage,  in  1502,  under  Miguel  Cortereal  in  search  of 
his  brother  Gaspar,  resulted  in  a  similar  disappearance;  and  Portugal 
never  gained  a  foothold  in  North  America.  The  success  of  Da  Gama 
and  Cabral  had  found  a  more  profitable  outlet  for  Portuguese  commerce 
and  colonization,  and  their  various  enterprises  in  South  America,  West 
and  South  Africa,  and  the  adjacent  islands,  as  well  as  in  the  East  Indies, 
afforded  ample  scope  for  all  the  surplus  energies  of  prince  and  people. 
Before  dismissing  Portugal  from  the  field  of  observation,  we  would  re- 
mind the  reader  of  the  well  known  voyage  of  Magellan,  a  Portuguese 
in  the  service  of  Spain,  in  1520,  and  the  discovery  of  the  straits  called 
by  his  name — a  southwest  passage  to  India,  or  rather  to  the  islands  of 
the  Pacific  and  to  Australia. 

SPANISH  VOYAGES. 

The  greatest  and  most  wide-reaching  in  influence  of  all  the  voyages 
of  discovery,  was  that  of  Columbus,  in  1492,  in  search  of  a  western  pas- 
sage to  India.  His  great  discovery  was  not  like  so  many  of  the  preced- 
ing ones,  an  accidental  happening  or  a  lucky  hit,  nor  the  direct  conse- 
quence of  other  explorations  immediately  preceding,  as  was  Da  Gama's  ; 
but  the  result  of  an  intellectual  conception  carefully  elaborated  and  found- 
ed on  geographical  data.  Any  number  of  discoveries  by  storm-driven 
Norsemen  or  cod-fishing  Bretons,  or  adventurous  Welshmen — were  the 
facts  established  beyond  all  doubt— could  not  rob  Columbus  of  the  pecu- 
liar glory  of  his  great  achievement. 

By  birth  a  Genoese,  but  failing  of  proper  encouragement  at  home 
and  in  other  countries  to  which  he  had  submitted  his  projects,  Columbus, 
then  in  the  service  of  Spain,  sailed  from  the  port  of  Palos  to  find  a 
western  passage  to  India,  and  in  ten  weeks  came  in  sight  of  land. 
The  now  old  and  familiar  story  will  not  be  repeated  here,  as  only  its 
influence  and  bearings  upon  later  voyages  farther  north,  come  within 


COLUMBUS    FIRST   SIGHT  OF  LAND 


SPANISH  EXPLORATION  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 


the  scope  of  our  work.  He  died  fourteen  years  later,  in  poverty  and 
neglect,  after  four  voyages  to  the  New  World,  still  under  the  impres- 
sion that  he  had  reached  some  portion  of  India  by  a  western  route. 
Within  fifty  years  of  his  discovery,  the  geographical  knowledge  in  the 
possession  of  mankind 
was  doubled  ;  and  the 
foundations  of  modern 
accuracy  and  fullness  in 
that  regard  were  deeply 
laid. 

PORTUGUESE    AND 
SPANISH     EXPLORERS. 

Spanish  navigators  in 
great  numbers  followed 
in  the  wake  of  Colum- 
bus, some  originally  his 
subordinates  and  asso- 
ciates, others  not  spec- 
ially connected.  When 
the  way  is  opened  by 
genius,  talent  is  ever 
ready  to  step  in  and  gather  results.  Ojeda,  Vespucius,  Pinzon,  Bastides, 
Balboa,  Grijalva,  De  Solis,  De  Leon,  De  Cordova,  Cortes,  De  Ayllon, 
Pizarro,  Almagro,  and  many  others,  increased  the  area  of  Spanish  ex- 
ploration and  conquest  in  America,  and,  it  might  be  said,  added  to  the 
infamy  of  their  cruel  oppression  and  heartless  enslavement  and  depopu- 
lation of  the  native  races,  in  Central  and  South  America,  in  Mexico 
and  the  West  Indies.  The  Spanish  exploration  of  North  America  by 
Gomez,  in  1524,  led  to  important  results,  but  was  signalized  by  the  cus- 
tomary Spanish  barbarity  to  the  natives,  several  of  whom  were  kid- 
napped and  sold  into  slavery,  making  the  venture  commercially  profit- 
able, but  morally  infamous.  And  so  it  hath  ever  been — 

"  Regard  of  worldly  muck  doth  foully  blend 
And  low  abase  the  high,  heroic  spirit. " 


CHRISTOPHER    COLUMBUS. 


34  RAP  AC  IT  T  OF  SPAIN. 

The  wealth  which  Spain  wrenched  with  heavy  hand  from  the  luck- 
less natives  who  fell  under  her  sway,  was  lavished  in  wasteful  luxury  and 
expensive  wars.  Like  others,  her  growth  would  have  been  more  solid 
and  her  prosperity  more  enduring  had  she  been  content  with  fair  returns 
from  her  American  possessions.  But  her  voracious  greed  and  atrocious 
cruelty  plucked  out  the  eyes  of  the  New  World — and  her  own.  Mexico 
and  Peru  were  extinguished,  their  civilization  destroyed,  and  their  wealth 
confiscated  by  the  unwise,  as  well  as  cruel,  policy  of  her  conquerors. 
Liberty  and  justice  are  the  two  pillars  of  national  prosperity  which  no 
violence  of  brute  force  can  pull  down,  and  which  alone  can  defy  the 
assaults  of  internal  and  external  foes.  After  nearly  four  hundred  years 
of  mistaken  policy,  a  new  generation  of  nobler  sons  have  begun  to  guide 
the  ship  of  state  on  wiser  principles. 

After  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus,  and  the  recognition  that 
the  land  surface  of  the  globe  had  been  considerably  enlarged  by  a  long 
stretch  of  territory,  the  width  of  which,  however,  was  not  ascertained  till 
long  afterward,  the  search  for  a  passage  through  it  to  the  Indies  was  not 
relinquished.  In  1513  Balboa  had  found  the  "South  Sea,"  now  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  after  having  with  immense  labor,  patience,  and  perse- 
verance, built  some  vessels  on  the  Gulf  of  Panama — "  an  enterprise  no 
leader  save  he  could  have  carried  to  a  successful  issue  " — he  cruised  on  its 
waters  beyond  St.  Michaels.  But  his  premature  death  at  the  hands  of 
his  rival  Davila,  of  Darien,  in  1517,  deprived  him  of  the  opportunity  of 
further  exploration.  The  reports  sent  by  Balboa  to  Spain  in  relation  to 
the  great  wealth  of  the  regions  south  of  Panama  inflamed  the  zeal  and 
avarice  of  the  Spaniards,  and  man  v  expeditions  were  organized  with  a 
view  to  exploration  and  conquest.  In  their  search  for  gold  they  enlarged 
the  area  of  geographical  knowledge,  but  their  destruction  of  the  civiliza- 
tions of  Mexico  and  Peru  has  robbed  humanity  of  an  inheritance  for 
which  that  is  no  recompense.  That  would  eventually  have  been  reached 
without  their  aid,  but  the  loss  referred  to  can  never  be  repaired. 

One  of  the  first  results  of  Columbus'  discovery  of  the  New  World 
was  the  re-discovery  of  North  America.  The  English  "  Society  of 
Merchant  Adventurers,"  was  established  in  1358  under  the  name  of  "The 


CABOT  DISCOVERS  NORTH  AMERICA.  85 

Thomas  a,  Becket  Society,"  and  the  whole  body  of  English  traders  were 
eager  to  share  in  the  commerce  of  India,  China  and  the  East  generally. 
The  Pope  had  early  granted,  almost  as  soon  as  the  discovery  was  fully 
authenticated,  a  sort  of  monopoly  of  the  advantages  of  the  Eastern  dis- 
coveries to  the  Portuguese,  and  of  the  Western  to  the  Spaniards.  By  a 
bull  of  1493  the  meridian  of  100  leagues  west  of  the  Azores  was  estab- 
lished as  a  line  of  demarcation  between  the  two  powers.  By  the  treaty 
of  Tordesillas,  in  1494,  and  a  confirmatory  bull  in  1506,  the  line  was  ex- 
tended to  the  coast  of  Brazil,  or  375  leagues  from  the  Azores.  The 
adjoining  country  inland,  extent  unknown,  was  understood  to  follow  the 
fortunes  of  the  coast.  The  method  of  division  was  unscientific  and  un- 
fortunate, but  as  far  as  other  nations  were  concerned  it  was  supposed  to 
cut  them  off  from  all  share  in  the  great  discoveries  of  the  period.  The 
English  were  determined  to  find,  if  possible,  a  solution  which,  while  it 
would  not  formally  antagonize  the  high  authority  of  the  Pope — at  that 
time  an  accepted  and  important  element  in  international  law — would  let 
them  into  a  substantial  share  of  the  results.  This  was  the  origin  of  the 
celebrated  theory  of  a  Northwest  Passage  to  India  and  Cathay,  or  China, 
which  will  be  more  fully  treated  in  a  succeeding  chapter. 

In  pursuance  of  this  theory  the  Cabots,  John  and  Sebastian — father 
and  son — sailed  with  three  vessels,  in  1497,  from  Bristol,  then  the  lead- 
ing commercial  port  of  England.  They  virtually  discovered  North 
America,  as  it  is  not  known  that  the  discovery  of  the  same  region  some 
500  years  before,  had  any  influence  on  their  course  or  its  results.  As 
nearly  as  can  be  now  determined,  the  region  actually  discovered,  and 
which  they  loosely  designated  by  the  name  of  "  The  Land  First  Seen," 
was  Labrador.  Though  not  signalized  by  large  immediate  results,  and 
in  a  commercial  sense  unprofitable,  this  voyage  was  one  of  the  most  mo- 
mentous in  the  history  of  the  world.  It  was  the  corner-stone  of  Eng- 
land's colonial  system  and  indirectly  of  the  greater  glories  of  the 
American  Union,  with  its  incalculable  contributions  to  the  elevation  and 
progress  of  mankind.  Our  minds  cannot  grasp  the  immensity  of  these 
results,  but  the  effort  to  seize  the  dim  outlines  of  the  mighty  fabric  will 
amply  repay. 


SEBASTIAN  CABOT. 


86 


SECOND  VOTAGE  OF  CABOT.  37 

In  a  second  voyage,  about  a  year  later,  Sebastian  Cabot,  in  command 
of  two  vessels  and  300  men,  explored  the  coast  from  Labrador  to  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  perhaps  to  Florida.  He  named  Newfoundland  and  noted 
the  great  numbers  of  codfish  to  be  found  -on  its  banks — a  discovery, 
however,  in  which  he  had  been  anticipated,  it  is  thought,  by  the  fisher- 
men of  France.  He  reached  latitude  58°,  and  perhaps  higher,  but  en- 
countered so  much  floating  ice,  though  it  was  in  the  month  of  July,  that 
he  concluded  to  return  to  England.  Nothing  more  is  heard  of  Sebastian 
Cabot  until  1512,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  Spain,  where  he  re- 
mained until  the  death  of  his  patron,  Ferdinand  V.,  in  i$i6.  Soon 
afterward  he  is  again  found  in  the  service  of  England,  being  given  the 
command  of  an  expedition  to  Labrador,  in  1517,  by  Henry  VIII.  To 
the  cowardice  or  malice  of  an  associate,  Sir  Thomas  Perte,  is  usually 
attributed  Cabot's  failure  in  this  third  voyage  to  North  America.  But 
it  can  hardly  be  just  to  attribute  it  to  such  a  cause.  Complete  success 
was  impossible  at  that  early  stage — step  by  step  man  progresses.  He 
explored  what  is  now  Hudson's  Bay,  ascending  to  67°  30',  and  naming 
several  pi  aces.  Dissatisfied  with  the  result,  or  influenced  perhaps  by  the 
dissatisfaction  of  his  principal,  Cardinal  Wolsey,  who  was  at  that  time 
emphatically  "  the  power  behind  the  throne, "  and  far  more  interested 
in  finding  a  passage  for  himself  to  the  papacy  than  in  promoting  the 
efforts  of  the  merchants  of  London  to  discover  a  route  to  India,  or  for 
some  cause  not  clearly  ascertained,  Cabot  left  England  and  re-entered 
the  service  of  Spain.  The  unexampled  prestige  of  its  young  king 
Carlos,  elected  emperor  under  the  historic  name  of  Karl  or  Charles  V., 
in  1519,  may  have  inspired  Cabot  with  the  hope  of  securing  in  that  pow- 
erful quarter  the  necessary  patronage  for  his  cherished  project,  the 
Northeast  Passage.  It  is  said  that  he  had  secured  a  favorable  hearing 
from  the  late  king  for  that  fantastic  dream,  but  in  England  the  North- 
west Passage  was  still  in  the  ascendant.  He  was  appointed  pilot-rruijor 
of  Spain,  and  was  for  some  years  engaged  in  quietly  discharging  the 
duties  of  that  office,  for  which  his  exact  knowledge  of  detail  and  large 
experience  in  naval  matters  from  his  boyhood,  specially  qualified  him. 
With  Cabot  we  turn  again  to  Spain  and  its  maritime  enterprises. 


38  VOYAGE   OF  MAGELLAN. 

FIRST  VOYAGE   AROUND  THE    WORLD. 

Fernando  Magalhaens  or  Magellan  (1470-1521),  a  Portuguese  nav- 
igator, had  attained  some  distinction  in  the  service  of  his  country  in  the 
East  Indies,  and  had  taken  part  in  the  conquest  of  Malacca  in  1511. 
While  serving  under  Albuquerque  he  had  made  a  voyage  to  the  Mo- 
luccas or  Spice  Islands,  which  he  afterward  learned  were  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  Spain  as  established  by  papal  adjudication  and  the  treaty 
of  Tordesillas.  In  1517  he  opened  his  project  of  finding  a  West 
passage  to  the  Moluccas,  to  Charles  V,  of  Spain,  and  an  agreement 
was  entered  into,  March  22,  1518,  whereby  the  King  was  to  defray  the 
expenses,  and  receive  the  lion's  share  of  such  commercial  advantages  as 
should  accrue.  Magellan  received  command  of  five  vessels  and  237  men 
for  the  expedition,  and  having  finally  got  all  things  in  readiness,  he 
sailed  for  the  New  World  in  1519.  The  expedition  had  to  struggle 
against  bad  weather,  insubordination  and  mishaps  of  various  kinds,  the 
details  of  which  would  be  foreign  to  this  stage  of  our  narrative.  Ma- 
gellan discovered  and  traversed  the  Strait  called  by  his  name  in  1520  ; 
and  was  killed  in  battle  with  the  natives  of  one  of  the  Philippine 
Islands,  in  1521.  His  subordinate,  Sebastian  del  Cano,  completed  the 
voyage,  reaching  Spain  Sept.  6,  1522,  lacking  fourteen  days  of  three 
years  since  the  departure  of  Magellan. 

CABOT'S  VOYAGE  TO  LA  PLATA. 

Cabot  conceived  the  project  of  reaching  Peru  by  a  more  direct  route 
than  that  discovered  by  Balboa  from  Panama,  or  by  Magellan  through 
the  Straits  which  are  called  by  his  name.  He  secured  the  command  of 
an  expedition  to  explore  the  La  Plata,  in  1526,  and  search  for  a  South- 
west Passage  to  the  South  Sea  or  Pacific  Ocean,  and  thence  to  the  East. 
In  1527  he  ascended  the  La  Plata  120  leagues,  and  discovered  Para- 
guay. He  was  feebly  sustained  by  the  home  government,  and  returned 
to  Spain  in  1531.  As  with  the  cardinal  in  England,  so  with  the  emper- 
or in  Spain,  the  pre-occupation  of  more  congenial  pursuits  dwarfed  the 
interest  in  maritime  exploration,  and  Cabot  concluded  to  again  try  Eng- 
land," whither  he  went,  in  1548.  He  perhaps  hoped  to  be  able  to  in- 


FRENCH  VOTAGERS. 


39 


terest  the  vigorous  and  enterprising  Duke  of  Somerset,  protector  of 
England,  in  his  now  favorite  project.  He  was  created  inspector  of  the 
navy,  and  instructor  of  the  young  King  Edward  VI.  in  the  nautical 
science  of  the  day,  where  we  will  leave  him,  while  we  call  atten- 
tion to  another  branch  of  our  subject. 

FRENCH  VOYAGES  TO  NORTH  AMERICA. 

During  the  fifty  years  succeeding  the  discovery  of  America  by  Co- 
lumbus, Cabot,  and  Vespucius,  France  was  too  deeply  involved  in  Euro- 
pean wars  to  give  much  attention  to  maritime  discovery.  Louis  XII. 
(1498-1515),  Francis  I.  (1515-47)  and  Henry  II.  (1547-59),  successive- 
ly struggled  with  coast  of  North  Amer- 
Austria  for  the  pos-  djJJJliiilJjfciL.  *ca'  After  the  peace 
session  of  Lombardy.  jjjjji  mSJjgf&Sp'  of  Cambray,  Francis 
The  defeat  of  Francis  ^Hp  M»  ^  — failing  to  find,  as  he 
at  Pavia,  in  1525,  by  ^EiBi'.^  P^\  said,  any  clause  in 
throwing  the  nation  ^^^^-T^*^^^fopw'  Adam's  will  disin- 
into  financial  and  po-  ;^^^^^bv-^flBMBl^^^  heriting  France  in 
litical  disorder,  put  an  /^^^^^H^S^^^^^-  favor  of  Spain  and 
end  to  Verrazzano's  -  Portugal  —  renewed 
otherwise  successful  ^*^o^<x  liplp^^x  his  interest  in  Ameri- 
exploration  of  the  JACQUES  CARTIER.  can  exploitations.  In 
1534  he  sent  out  Cartier,  who  discovered  the  Gulf  and  River  of 
St.  Lawrence,  and  in  a  second  voyage,  in  1535,  ascended  the  river  to 
what  is  now  Montreal,  where  he  wintered  peacefully  with  the 
natives.  In  two  other  voyages  (1541-1543)  he  maintained  the  most 
friendly  relations  between  the  French  colonists  and  the  Indians.  Pont- 
grave  in  1599,  De  Champlain,  from  1603  to  1635,  De  Monts  (1604) 
and  other  French  explorers  of  North  America  followed  the  example  of 
Cartier,  or  the  natural  instincts  of  their  race,  in  the  humane  treatment  of 
the  American  Indians,  winning  a  place  in  their  good  graces  which  no 
other  Europeans  have  been  able  to  reach.  The  story  of  these  events, 
however,  belongs  to  the  history  of  colonization,  not  to  that  of  Arctic 
voyages,  but  being  the  most  northerly  voyages  of  the  period  which  left 
abiding  results,  they  are  at  least  worthy  of  brief  mention. 


CHAPTER  III. 

• 

SEARCH    FOR    NORTHEAST    PASSAGE VOYAGE    OF    CHANCELLOR EN- 
TERPRISE   OF    MUSCOVY    COMPANY. 

In  the  meantime  Cabot  had  elaborated  his  pet  scheme  of  reaching 
India  by  a  Northeast  Passage,  evidently  having  no  adequate  conception  of 
the  extent  or  configuration  of  the  north  coast  of  Asia.  But  however 

O 

ludicrous  it  may  now  appear,  the  project  led  to  important  results.  It 
opened  the  way  to  commercial  relations  with  Russia,  then  starting  out  on 
an  independent  career;  and  it  has  also  exerted  great  influence  on  the  his- 
tory of  Arctic  voyages. 

Under  the  auspices  of  Cabot  and  his  royal  patron,  the  search  for  the 
Northeast  Passage  was  now  begun.  In  1553  three  ships  were  fitted  out 
at  the  expense  of  the  "  Merchant  Adventurers  of  London,"  and  under 
the  superintendence  of  the  aged  Cabot.  The  vessels  were  named  Buona 
Speranza,  or  Good  Hope;  Buona  Confidencia,  Good  Confidence;  and 
Buona  Ventura,  Good  Success;  and  were  commanded,  respectively,  by 
Sir  Hugh  Willoughby,  Cornelius  Durforth,  and  Richard  Chancellor. 
The  squadron  sailed  on  the  2Oth  of  May,  1553,  but  at  the  LofFoden 
Islands,  or  after  rounding  the  North  Cape,  they  became  separated,  and 
the  Buona  Ventura  entered  the  White  Sea,  till  then  unknown  to  European 
navigators.  The  other  two  held  together  some  time  longer,  drifting 
around  between  the  north  coast  of  Lapland  and  the  Arctic  Island  of 
Nova  Zembla.  Before  the  close  of  the  year  the  "  Confidence  "  returned 
to  England,  having  become  separated  from  her  consort  in  another  storm. 
The  ensuing  year  some  Russian  fishermen  found  the  Good  Hope 
hemmed  in  by  ice  at  the  mouth  of  theDwina,  in  Lapland,  and  her  entire 
crew  frozen  to  death.  Willoughby's  journey  had  closed  with  January, 
1554,  and  that  was  no  doubt  the  date  of  their  destruction — the  first  of  a 

long  series  of  victims  to  the  severity  of  Arctic  seas,  and  their  own  inex- 

40 


WRECK  OF  THE  BUONA    VENTURA.  41 

perience.  Had  they  been  skilled  in  the  resources  of  the  north,  they 
could  have  protected  themselves  against  the  severity  of  the  weather  by 
laying  in  a  stock  of  the  mossy  turf  or  peat,  for  fuel,  and  have  secured  by' 
hunting,  ample  provisions  to  sustain  them  through  the  winter.  The  in- 
telligence of  the  most  advanced  nations  must  be  combined  with  the  hard- 
ihood and  experience  of  the  rude  inhabitants  of  the  North  before  Arctic 
exploration  can  be  other  than  a  useless  sacrifice  of  human  life. 

Chancellor,  more  fortunate,  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Dwina,  and 
landed  at  the  monastery  of  St.  Nicholas,  near  where  Archangel  was 
founded  in  1584.  Notwithstanding  the  hardships  of  the  journey,  Chan- 
cellor proceeded  to  Moscow,  the  residence  of  the  sovereign,  who  was  no 
other  than  Ivan  IV.,  Vasilievitch  II.,  that  is,  son  of  Vasil  or  Basil,  and 
surnamed  "  The  Terrible."  Some  ten  years  before  he  had  changed  the 
modest  title  of  Duke  of  Russia  for  that  of  czar  and  autocrat.  However 
well  Ivan  may  have  deserved  his  surname  because  of  his  excessive  cru- 
elty to  his  enemies,  the  Tartars,  and  his  abuse  of  unrestrained  power 
over  his  subjects,  he  was  quite  gracious  to  the  English  navigator.  It  was 
in  reality  a  "  good  venture  "  for  both  parties — the  merchant  adventurers 
of  London  and  the  autocrat  of  Russia. 

The  realm  of  Ivan  was  strictly  continental  and  the  trade  with  West- 
ern Europe  was  through  the  dominion  of  his  enemies,  the  Poles.  Chan- 
cellor therefore  received  every  encouragement  to  renew  his  venture,  and 
obtained  an  excellent  market  for  his  wares.  He  returned  to  England  in 
1554,  and  the  next  year  made  a  second  voyage  to  Saint  Nicholas,  with 
four  ships  and  accompanied  by  two  agents  who  made  an  advantageous 
treaty  with  Ivan.  On  the  return  voyage,  accompanied  by  a  Russian 
ambassador  to  England,  he  lost  one  ship  on  the  coast  of  Norway,  and  a 
second  in  quitting  the  harbor  of  Droutheim.  He  was  soon  afterward 
driven  by  a  violent  storm  into  the  Bay  of  Pitsligo,  in  Scotland,  where  the 
Buona  Ventura  was  wrecked.  He  succeeded  in  getting  the  ambassador 
into  a  small  boat  with  himself,  but  the  boat  was  upset  arid  the  navigator 
drowned,  while  the  inexperienced  landsman  escaped  with  the  loss  of 
some  wares  and  gifts  which  he  was  taking  to  England. 

In  1556,  the  Muscovy  Company — as  the  Merchant   Adventurers  of 


48  VIEWS  REGARDING  NORTH  COAST  OF  ASIA. 

London  were  now  called — dispatched  the  Serchtrift  in  command  of 
Stephen  Burrough,  who  had  served  as  pilot,  or  sailing  master,  of  the 
Buona  Ventura  in  1553,  to  make  further  search  for  the  Northeast  Passage 
and  the  mouth  of  the  Obi.  Burrough  reached  the  strait  between  Nova 
Zembla  and  Vaigats  Island,  now  known  as  Kara  Gate  or  Strait,  but  was 
driven  back  by  the  ice  and  returned  to  England.  Burrough  wrote  an 
account  of  his  voyage. 

It  was  thought  that  the  promontory  forming  the  eastern  cape  of 
the  Gulf  of  Obi  was  the  northeast  corner  of  Asia,  and  that  therefore 
Nova  Zembla  and  the  Kara  Strait  were  distant  only  some  400  miles 
from  the  east  coast  of  Asia.  In  this  view  the  great  geographer  of  the 
day,  Mercator,  concurred;  and  this  naturally  gave  fresh  impetus  to  the 
unavailing  search.  But  the  best  authorities  are  liable  to  err,  even  in  the 
line  of  their  special  investigation. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  says  Milton, "  what  I  may  seem  to  the  world,  but 
to  myself  I  seem  to  have  been  only  like  a  boy  playing  on  the  seashore, 
and  diverting  myself  in  now  and  then  finding  a  smooth  pebble,  or  a 
prettier  shell  than  ordinary,  whilst  the  great  ocean  of  truth  lay  all  undis- 
covered before  me." 

All  attempt  to  explore  the  route  to  Asia  by  the  way  of  the  White 
Sea  and  the  Gulf  of  Obi  was  now  abandoned  for  nearly  a  generation, 
and  English  enterprise  was  again  directed  to  the  Northwest  Passage, 
which  they  had  given  up  in  1517.  This  change  in  the  direction  of  ex- 
periment is  the  best  evidence  of  the  strong  hold  the  problem  had  taken 
of  the  public  mind.  England  had  as  yet  no  hope  of  becoming  mistress 
of  the  ocean,  and  she  wished  to  have  a  route  to  the  East  which  would  be 
less  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  an  enemy's  fleet.  It  is  thus  that  a  great 
part  of  a  nation's  efforts  and  resources  are  wasted  in  preparing  to  defend 
itself  against  the  hostility  of  other  sections  of  the  human  family. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SEARCH    FOR    NORTHWEST    PASSAGE  RESUMED FROBISHER's  LOAD  OF 

GOLD TWO    VOYAGES    OF    GILBERT GILBERT     SHIPWRECKED  — 

HAWKINS,    THE      SLAVE-TRADER DRAKE      SAILS    AROUND     CAPE 

HORN. 

It  was  almost  fifty  years  since  the  failure  of  Cabot,  when  Martin 
Frobisher  succeeded  in  again  turning  the  British  mind  toward  the 
Northwest  Passage.  In  1576  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert  published  his 
"  Discourse  to  Prove  a  Passage  by  the  Northwest  to  Cathaia."  This 
was  the  year  of  Frobisher's  first  expedition,  but  he  had  been  some  years 
laboring  to  secure  the  acceptance  of  his  views;  and  Gilbert's  pamphlet 
shows  the  bent  of  public  opinion  rather  than  the  source  from  which,  as 
has  sometimes  been  alleged,  Frobisher  received  his  inspiration.  It  is 
more  probable  that  his  fifteen  years'  pleading  with  the  merchants  and 
nobles  of  England  for  aid  to  enable  him  to  attempt  the  execution 
of  what  he  called  "  the  only  great  thing  left  undone  in  the  world,"  was 
the  origin  of  the  "  Discourse." 

Frobisher  had  at  length  found  a  patron  in  Ambrose  Dudley,  Count 
of  Warwick,  and  a  favorite  of  Queen  Elizabeth;  and  set  sail  on 
the  8th  of  June  from  Deptford,  now  a  part  of  the  city  of 
London,  with  three  vessels,  two  of  which  were  only  of  twenty- 
five  and  twenty  tons  burden,  the  third  a  man-of-war;  or  as  others  say, 
with  three  small  barks  of  35,  30  and  10  tons.  As  he  moved  down  the 
Thames  he  was  graciously  saluted  by  the  queen  from  her  palace  at 
Greenwich.  The  smallest  vessel  went  down  in  the  first  storm,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  and  all  her  crew  perished.  The  second  returned  to 
England,  while  the  largest,  under  the  immediate  command  of  Frobisher, 
safely  reached  the  coasts  of  Greenland  and  Labrador.  After  coasting 

around  the   Savage    and  Resolution  Islands,  he  entered  the  strait  which 

43 


44 


ALLEGED  GOLD— SHIPWRECK.  45 

he  named  after  himself,  and  which  is  so  called  to  this  day,  near  63° 
north.  He  was  hindered  by  the  ice  from  extending  his  voyage  farther, 
but  before  returning  to  England  he  went  ashore  and  took  possession  of 
the  country  for  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  established  some  slight  but  friendly 
intercourse  with  the  natives,  whose  land  he  named  Meta  Incognita,  that 
is,  Unknown  Boundary. 

Taking  with  him  some  dark,  hard  stones,  the  luster  of  which 
was  erroneously  attributed  to  the  presence  of  gold,  he  set  sail 
for  England,  where  he  was  enthusiastically  received.  The  report 
that  Frobisher  had  brought  back  some  gold-bearing  stones  inflamed  the 
public  mind;  and  there  was  no  danger  that  he  would  be  compelled  to 
languish  another  fifteen  years,  waiting  for  patronage.  A  second  expe- 
dition, with  three  vessels  of  goodly  size,  was  soon  made  ready  and  set 
sail  under  his  command  in  May,  1577.  At  the  entrance  of  Frobisher 
Strait  his  passage  was  again  blocked  by  the  ice,  but  he  took  aboard  200 
tons  of  the  "  precious  ore,"  and  returned  to  England  with  the  blissful 
consciousness  of  having  made  a  prosperous  voyage.  In  1578  a  fleet  of 
fifteen  vessels  were  placed  at  his  disposal,  and  he  hastened  away  before 
Portugal  or  Spain  should  learn  of  the  great  "  find"  that  was  destined 
to  dwarf  the  treasures  they  were  draining  from  the  East  and  West 
Indies. 

"  The  best  laid  schemes  o'mice  and  men 

Gang  aft  a-glee ; 

And  leave  us  naught  but  grief  and  pain 
For  promised  joy." 

One  of  Frobisher's  largest  vessels  was  crushed  by  an  iceberg  at  the 
entrance  of  the  strait,  and  forty  lives  lost,  while  the  whole  fleet  was 
strained  and  injured  by  the  ice  floe.  It  had  been  intended  to  establish  a 
military  colony  of  100  picked  men,  and  to  build  a  fort  for  the  protection 
of  the  rich  surface  deposit  that  Frobisher  had.  the  good  fortune  to  have 
discovered  lying  around  loose  on  the  shore  of  his  famous  Meta  Incognita. 
On  a  survey  of  the  situatiou  it  was  found  that  a  considerable  part  of  the 
wood  destined  for  the  fort  would  be  required  to  repair  the  injured  ships; 
and  as  the  effective  force  of  men  had  been  seriously  diminished  by  the 


46 


FROBISHEKS  HOPES  DESTROTED. 


losses  already  sustained,  it  was  thought  best  to  abandon  that  project. 
We  may  well  imagine  that  the  dreary,  desolate  and  forbidding  aspect  of 
the  country,  in  a  season  of  excessive  severity,  would  so  chill  the  ardor  of 
those  who  were  ,to  be  left  behind,  that  they  took  counsel  of  their  fears, 
and  preferred  to  return  with  the  fleet  while  they  had  the  opportunity. 


PORTRAIT   OF   PROBISHER. 


The  dreams  of  Frobisher,  and  other  sanguine  participators  in  his  delus- 
ion, were  rudely  dissipated  on  his  return  to  England,  when  it  was  found 


GILBERT  TAKES  POSSESSION  OF  NEWFOUNDLAND.  47 

that  his  tons  of  precious  ore  were  so  much  worthless  stone,  brought  3000 
miles  to  swell  the  rock  piles  of  England.  His  last  voyage  had  been  the 
severest  of  the  three,  and  the  500  tons  brought  home,  while  they  might 
have  compensated  for  the  sacrifices  and  trials,  had  they  proved  valuable, 
were  but  an  aggravation  of  the  general  sense  of  injury  felt  by  the  people 
of  England  at  the  bursting  of  Frobisher's  bubble.  Ten  years  later  Fro- 
bisher  redeemed  his  name  from  any  obloquy  that  might  otherwise  have 
attached  to  it  because  of  the  great  and  almost  ludicrous  disproportion  be- 
tween his  sanguine  anticipations  and  the  meager  results.  In  the  contest 
with  the  Spanish  Armada,  in  1588,  he  was  captain  of  the  Triumph,  and 
did  such  signal  service  in  the  discomfiture  of  the  arrogant  Spaniards,  that 
he  was  knighted  for  his  bravery.  All  honor  to  Sir  Martin,  and  a  genial 
smile  for  his  quaint  conceit  that  the  finding  of  a  Northwest  Passage  was 
the  only  thing  of  note  left  undone  in  the  world.  It  was  found  a  genera- 
tion ago,  yet  the  array  of  notable  things  still  undone,  wonderfully  sup- 
plemented as  they  have  been  by  discoveries  and  inventions  never  dreamed 
of  by  honest  Sir  Martin,  remains  substantially  undiminished,  for  "  the 
thoughts  of  men  are  widened  with  the  process  of  the  suns." 

TWO  VOYAGES   OF   GILBERT. 

Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  already  referred  to,  received  from  the  queen  in 
1578,  a  patent  to  make  discoveries  in  North  America,  and  to  take  pos- 
session of  any  part  found  unoccupied.  In  1579  he  sailed  for  the  New 
World  with  the  purpose,  as  is  generally  supposed,  of  colonizing  New- 
foundland, but  this  opinion  is  based  mainly  on  what  is  known  of  his  sec- 
ond attempt.  One  of  his  vessels  was  lost,  but  he  arrived  safely  in 
England.  Four  years  later  he  resumed  the  undertaking  under  more  en- 
couraging auspices,  but  with  a  more  disastrous  issue.  "  On  the  eve  of 
his  departure,"  says  Bancroft,  "  he  received  from  Queen  Elizabeth  a 
golden  anchor  guided  by  a  lady,  a  token  of  the  queen's  regard."  He 
sailed  with  five  vessels  and  260  men,  and  arriving  in  Newfoundland,  dis- 
covered by  Cabot  in  1497,  he  proceeded  to  take  formal  possession  in  the 
queen's  name,  and  issued  leases  to  such  of  his  company  as  desired  them. 
But  the  spirit  of  colonization,  with  its  hard  work  and  slow  results,  was 


-is 


FIRST  ENGLISH  SLA  VE-TRADER.  49 

absent;  and  he  soon  proceeded  with  his  whole  company  to  search  for 
silver  mines.  Soon  the  largest  ship  was  wrecked  through  the  negligence 
of  the  crew,  and  most  of  those  on  board  were  lost.  Gilbert  now  con- 
cluded to  return  to  England  with  what  remained.  On  the  voyage  a 
severe  storm  arose,  and  he  was  earnestly  entreated  to  take  refuge  in  the 
larger  of  the  two  remaining  vessels,  from  the  little  bark  of  only  ten 
tons  in  which  he  had  set  out  for  the  coast^pg  voyage.  His  reply  has  be- 
come historic,  and  has  elicited  much  admiration  for  the  calm  intrepidity 
it  displays.  It  savors,  however,  fully  as  much  of  fatalism  as  of  piety, 
and  though  his  action  may  be  regarded  as  heroic  in  declining  to  abandon 
his  associates,  the  principle  implied  in  what  is  itself  a  mere  truism,  is 
more  poetic  than  praiseworthy.  The  scene  is  thus  described,  with  all 
proper,  accessories : 

"  The  general,  sitting  abaft  with  a  book  in  his  hand,  cried  out  to 
those  in  the  '  Hind ' :  '  We  are  as  near  to  heaven  by  sea  as  by  land.' 
That  same  night  about  twelve  o'clock  the  lights  of  the  '  Squirrel '  sud- 
denly disappeared,  and  neither  the  vessel  nor  any  of  its  crew  were  ever 
seen  again." 

HAWKINS,  DRAKE   AND   CAVENDISH. 

These  three  were  famous  English  navigators  of  the  period  we  have 
now  reached,  being  contemporaries  of  Davis.  But  as  they  were  chiefly 
engaged  in  combating  Spanish  domination  on  the  ocean,  they  hardly 
come  within  the  scope  of  this  work.  In  prosecuting  their  paramount 
purpose  of  crippling  Spain,  they  contributed  some  little  to  geographical 
knowledge,  and  on  that  account  deserve  passing  mention. 

Sir  John  Hawkins  has  the  bad  distinction  of  being  the  first  English 
slave-trader,  and  in  pursuing  that  infamous  business  he  became  familiar 
with  the  west  coast  of  Africa.  He  suffered  heavy  loss  in  an  encounter 
with  a  Spanish  fleet  in  1567,  which  closed  his  "commercial"  career, 
but  gave  him  the  opportunity  of  winning  distinction  by  his  services 
against  his  personal  and  national  enemies.  He  helped  to  rout  the  Span- 
ish Armada  in  1588,  and  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  to  1595,  his  efforts  were 
directed  against  Spanish  trade  with  the  West  Indies.  His  voyages  in 
4 


60  DRAKE'S  RECEPTION  BT  INDIANS. 

those  waters  increased  the  sum  of  knowledge  in  relation  to  that  portion 
of  the  American  coast. 

Sir  Francis  Drake  was  with  his  kinsman  Hawkins,  in  1567,  when 
they  were  overwhelmed  by  the  Spanish  fleet,  and  like  him  had  his  na- 
.  tional  antipathies  influenced  by  the  sense  of  personal  loss.  From  1570 
to  his  death,  in  1595,  he  did  his  utmost  to  spread  havoc  among  the  Span- 
ish-American fleets,  and  was  frequently  successful.  In  1572  he  gained 
a  view  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  from  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.  In  1578  he 
sailed  through  the  Straits  of  Magellan  and  plundered  the  coasts  of 
Chili  and  Peru.  He  sailed  north  to  48°  in  the  hope  of  finding  the 
Northwest  Passage  on  the  Pacific  side.  Failing  of  that  expedition,  he 
returned  to  what  is  now  San  Francisco,  which  had  been  previously  dis- 
covered by  the  Spaniards.  He  took  possession  of  the  country  for  the 
Queen  of  England  and  named  it  New  Albion,  and  spent  several  weeks  in 
friendly  intercourse  with  the  natives.  He  gives  this  account  of  his  re- 
ception : 

"  When  we  landed  they  appeared  to  be  greatly  astonished,  and 
showed  us  great  respect,  thinking  that  we  were  gods,  and  they 
received  us  with  a  great  deal  of  reverence.  As  long  as  we  remained  on 
shore  they  came  to  see  us,  bringing  us  bunc  hes  of  beautiful  feathers  of 
all  colors,  and  sometimes  tobacco,  which  the  Indians  regard  as  an  herb, 
and  make  great  use  of.  Before  approaching  us  they  would  remain  at 
some  distance  in  a  respectful  attitude,  then,  making  a  long  harangue 
according  to  their  custom,  they  would  lay  down  their  bows  and  arrows, 
and  approach,  offering  their  presents.  The  first  time  they  came  they 
were  accompanied  by  their  women,  who. remained  at  some  distance;  but 
they  commenced  to  scratch  their  cheeks  and  tear  their  flesh,  making 
signs  of  lamentation,  which  was  altogether  inexplicable,  but  we  after- 
ward learned  that  it  was  a  form  of  sacrifice  or  offering  which  they  made 
to  us." 

Leaving  California,  Drake  crossed  the  Pacific  to  the  Moluccas, 
and  thence  returned  to  England  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  visiting 
many  points,  most  of  them  previously  discovered,  and  reached  home, 
Nov.  3d,  1580,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  three  years,  being  the 


CA  VENDISH  PLUNDERS  THE  PACIFIC  COAST.  51 

first  English  circumnavigator  of  the  globe.  He  afterward  took  an  active 
part  in  the  defeat  of  the  Spanish  Armada,  and  in  the  English  ravages  on 
Spanish  commerce  in  the  West  Indies.  He  was  so  engaged  with 
Hawkins  in  the  last  voyage  of  both  in  1595. 

Thomas  Cavendish,  or  Candish,  was  also  engaged  mainly  in  con- 
flicts with  the  Spaniards  on  the  sea;  and  in- 1587,  with  three  small  ships 
fitted  out  at  his  own  expense,  he  wrenched  much  plunder  from  the 
Spanish  settlements  on  the  Pacific  coast  of  South  America.  The  towns 
of  Paraca,  Cincha,  Pisca,  Paita,  and  the  island  of  Puna,  were  made  to 
disgorge  over  $3,00x3,000.  At  Aguatulio  he  seized  a  Spanish  galleon, 
or  treasure-ship,  with  $122,000  and  other  booty  on  board.  He  then 
proceeded  to  the  Philippine  Islands  and  returned  home  by  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  arriving  at  Plymouth,  Sept.  9,  1588.  He  was  the 
second  Englishman  to  make  the  voyage  around  the  world.  In  1591  he 
set  out  again  with  five  vessels,  but  failed  in  his  efforts  to  replenish  his 
wasted  wealth,  and  died  in  1593  before  reaching  the  English  coast.  He 
is  credited  with  having  rendered  some  services  to  the  sciences  of  geogra- 
phy and  hydrography. 


CHAPTER  V. 

DAVIS    SENT    OUT TRADES    WITH     NATIVES    OF    GREENLAND GREAT 

DANGER     IN      THE     ICE  PASSES     HUDSON'S     BAY  RALEIGH     IN 

SEARCH    OF  GOLD DISAPPOINTMENT CONFINED    IN    THE    TOWER. 

Notwithstanding  previous  disappointments — so  tenacious  is  the  pub- 
lic mind  of  an  idea  once  ardently  embraced — the  London  merchants 
could  not  entirely  abandon  the  hope  of  finding  a  passage  to  Cathay. 
Once  more,  after  a  respite  of  seven  years,  several  of  them  "  cast  in  their 
adventure"  and  dispatched  Captain  John  Davis,  in  1585,  with  two  ships, 
the  Sunshine  and  the  Moonshine,  of  fifty  and  thirty-five  tons  respect- 
ively. Though  the  El  Dorado  of  Labrador  had  disappeared  in  the 
flumes  of  the  assayer  of  Frobisher's  ore,  there  was  yet  no  invincible  dem- 
onstration that  a  Northwest  Passage  could  not  be  found.  They  probably 
felt,  as  men  have  often  felt  before  and  since,  that  if  they  had  not  allowed 
themselves  to  be  diverted  from  their  original  purpose  by  the  gold  mania 
of  1576-8,  the  route  to  China  might  have  been  laid  bare,  and  the  Wares 
of  the  East  brought  to  London  by  way  of  Labrador.  It  was  worth  an- 
other effort;  and  so  they  sent  out  Davis,  a  navigator  of  unquestioned 
ability;  and  with  a  refinement  of  thoughtful  attention  supposed  to  be  for- 
eign to  the  minds  of  mercenary  traders,  they  furnished  him  with  a  band 
of  music — the  number  and  kind  of  instruments  not  stated — "  to  cheer 
and  recreate  the  spirits  of  the  natives."  Cunning  traders,  had  they 
learned  that  to  bewitch  the  natives  with  music  was  a  good  investment 
toward  getting  furs  cheap? 

July  the  20th,  forty-three  days  out,  Davis  discovered  what  he 
named  the  Land  of  Desolation,  which  is  a  much  more  appro- 
priate designation  than  the  misnomer  Greenland,  which  it  bears.  In 
Gilbert  Bay  he  traded  advantageously  with  the  natives,  giving  glass 

beads  and  other  trinkets  for  valuable  furs.    A  few  days  afterward,  allured 

52 


DAVIS  ARRIVES  IN  GREENLAND.  53 

doubtless  by  the  music  of  the  band  so  thoughtfully  sent  forward  by 
their  London  sympathizers  "  to  recreate  their  spirits,"  and  of  which  the 
first  lot  of  native  traders  had  spread  the  fame  far  and  near  through  the 
camps  of  the  Esquimaux,  no  less  than  thirty-seven  canoes  surrounded 
the  English  ships.  On  the  6th  of  August  they  came  in  sight  of  a  high 
mountain — the  Sukkertoppen — and  sailing  still  northwest  they  reached 
land  at  66°  40'  free  from  "  the  pesters  of  ice,  and  ankered  in  a  very 
fair  rode."  Davis  thought  he  had  reached  the  entrance  to  the  sea  which 
communicated  with  the  Pacific  Ocean.  He  explored  the  region  of  Cum- 
berland Sound  and  the  entrance  to  Frobisher  and  Hudson  Straits,  giv- 
ing names  to  the  Bay  of  Tatness,  and  to  the  Capes  Dyer  and  Walsing- 
ham,  and  returned  to  E-ngland. 

In  1586  Davis  was  put  in  command  of  four  vessels — the  two  of  the 
previous  voyage,  together  with  the  " Mermaid"  and  the  "North  Star." 
On  June  29,  when  fifty-three  days  out,  he  again  reached  Greenland, 
at  64°,  whence  he  sent  the  "  Sunshine"  and  "  North  Star"  along  the 
east  coast  to  seek  a  passage  farther  north,  while  with  the  other  two  he 
proceeded  to  follow  up  his  investigations  of  the  previous  year  on  the 
west  side  through  the  strait  called  after  his  name,  advancing  as  far  as 
69°.  The  ice  was  found  more  massive  than  on  the  previous  year.  One 
great  field  was  encountered  in  the  middle  of  July  which  it  took  thirteen 
days  to  pass.  The  wind  from  off  the  ice  so  froze  the  ropes  and  sails 
that  his  men  became  discouraged  and  pathetically  admonished  him  that 
"  by  his  over-boldness  he  might  cause  their  widows  and  fatherless  chil- 
dren to  give  him  bitter  curses."  He  thereupon  retraced  his  course,  and 
after  some  further  exploration  of  the  region  of  Cumberland  Sound  and 
a  conflict  with  the  Esquimaux,  in  which  three  of  his  men  were  killed 
and  two  wounded,  he  returned  to  England,  unsuccessful  but  hopeful. 
He  wrote  to  a  friend  that  he  had  reduced  the  discovery  of  the  Northwest 
Passage  almost  to  a  certainty. 

May  15,  1587,  he  left  London  with  the  "  Sunshine,"  "Elizabeth," 
"  Dartmouth  "  and  "  Helen, "  and  arrived  on  the  coast  of  Greenland, 
June  1 5th.  This  expedition  was  fitted  out  on  the  express  condition 
that  the  expenses  should  be  lightened  by  fishing  whenever  practicable. 


54  IMPORTANCE  OF  DAVIS1  VOYAGES— RALEIGH. 

For  this  purpose  two  of  their  vessels  were  left  near  the  scene  of  their 
former  explorations,  while  with  the  others  he  pushed  forward  in  Baffin's 
Bay  as  far  as  72°  12',  naming  the  highest  point  he  reached  Sanderson's 
Hope,  in  honor  of  his  chief  patron — falling  short  of  the  latitude  of  Uper- 
navik  about  half  of  one  degree.  Again  stopped  by  the  ice  and  forced  to 
go  back,  he  made  some  further  explorations  lower  down.  He  passed 
the  entrance  to  Hudson  Bay,  and  failing  to  find  the  two  vessels  at  the 
appointed  rendezvous,  he  returned  to  England  whither  they  had  pre- 
ceded him.  Though  undaunted,  and  hopeful  of  final  success,  he  could  not 
secure  an  outfit  for  a  fourth  trial,  and  was  compelled  to  relinquish  the 
project.  The  results  of  his  voyages  were  important  geographically, 
but  the  English  merchants  were  more  affected  by  the  financial  aspects, 
as  their  ardor  had  been  effectually  chilled  by  six  successive  disappoint- 
ments in  twelve  years. 

VOYAGES  OF  RALEIGH. 

It  is  not  as  the  founder  of  the  Roanoke  Colony,  in  America,  nor  as 
soldier  in  France  or  Ireland,  nor  yet  as  a  favorite  of  the  Queen  of  Eng- 
land, or  member  of  the  British  Parliament,  nor  even  as  one  of  the  most 
renowned  and  remarkable  men  of  his  age,  that  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
finds  a  place  in  this  history  of  great  navigators.  His  two  voyages  to 
Guiana  and  persevering  attempts  to  find  the  El  Dorado  of  the  age,  the 
fabled  paradise  of  gold-seekers,  entitle  him  to  a  place  in  the  list. 

On  the  pth  of  February,  1595,  Raleigh  sailed  from  England  with 
five  ships  and  100  soldiers,  besides  seamen,  officers,  and  some  gentlemen 
volunteers,  on  his  first  voyage  to  Guiana. 

Arriving  at  Fastaventura  in  the  Canaries,  he  took  on  board  fresh 
supplies  of  water,  and  after  a  stay  of  four  days,  proceeded  to  Teneriffe, 
where  he  was  met  by  one  of  his  captains.  Waiting  eight  days  in  vain 
for  the  appearance  of  Captain  Brereton,  he  sailed  for  Trinidad,  where 
he  met  Whiddon,  another  of  his  captains.  De  Berreo,  Spanish  com- 
mander of  Trinidad,  suspicious  of  the  designs  of  Raleigh,  forbade,  under 
pain  of  death,  all  intercourse  with  the  English.  Raleigh  landed  under 
cover  of  night  with  100  men,  burned  the  town  of  St.  Joseph,  and  took 


RALEIGH  ASCENDS   THE  ORINOCO. 


55 


Berreo,  with  some  of  the  principal  inhabitants,  aboard  his  vessel  as 
prisoners.  He  was  here  joined  by  two  vessels  of  his  squadron  under 
command  of  Gifford  and  Knynin.  They  proceeded  at  once  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Orinoco,  and  after  passing  through  a  number  of  islands  at 


SIR  WALTER   RALEIGH. 


its  mouth,  ascended  the  river  a  distance  of  400  miles.  He  failed  to  find 
Manoa,  the  city  of  gold  and  gems,  unsurpassed  in  grandeur  and  magnifi- 
cence, and  in  comparison  with  which,  the  riches  of  Mexico  and  Peru 
dwindled  into  insignificance.  All  this  and  more,  Raleigh  learned  from 
his  Spanish  captives  and  Indian  visitors.  To  which  they  kindly  added — 


56  RALEIGH  CONFINED  IN   THE    TOWER. 

it  costs  but  little  to  enlarge,  when  one  draws  on  his  imagination  for 
facts — that  there  was  no  winter  at  Manoa,  and  no  sickness  ;  that  the  soil 
was  excellent  ;  that  there  was  abundance  of  game  ;  and  that  the  songs 
of  birds  filled  the  air  with  a  perpetual  concert.  The  emperor  of  Manoa 
was,  however,  a  mighty  potentate,  and  Raleigh  with  his  handful  of  men 
would  be  foolhardy  to  attempt  to  cope  with  him.  His  people  were  high- 
ly civilized  and  jealous  of  their  immense  treasures  —  within  their 
territory  there  existed  a  mountain  of  gold — and  it  would  be  rash  to  at- 
tack them.  Raleigh  felt  otherwise,  and  pressing  his  Indian  informant 
to  act  as  guide,  he  was  astounded  to  learn  from  his  lips  that  Manoa  had 
been  submerged  and  was  then  under  water,  as  was  no  doubt  the  golden 
mountain.  He  might  have  added  that  it  was  the  native  version  of  the 
story  of  Atlantis,  as  paraphrased  from  what  they  had  heard  from  the 
Spaniards  or  other  visitors.  Though  Raleigh  may  not  have  believed  all 
that  he  had  been  told,  it  is  clear  that  these  marvelous  stories  had  their 
influence  upon  his  imagination  and  judgment,  for  he  says  : 

"Some  may  perhaps  think  that  I  am  enthusiastic  and  visionary;  but 
why  should  I  have  undertaken  this  enterprise  if  I  was  not  convinced 
that  this  land  of  Guiana  was  a  country  abounding  in  gold?  Whiddon 
and  Milechappe,  our  surgeon,  have  brought  me  many  precious  stones 
which  resemble  sapphires.  I  have  shown  these  stones  to  many  people 
in  Orinoco,  who  have  assured  me  that  there  is  a  mountain  full  of 
them." 

He  returned  to  England  before  the  close  of  the  year  1595,  but  through 
all  the  honors  as  well  as  trials  which  intervened  between  his  first  and 
second  voyages,  he  does  not  seem  to  have  lost  the  hope  of  making  rich 
discoveries  on  the  Orinoco.  Upon  his  release  from  the  Tower  in  1615, 
after  a  confinement  of  thirteen  years,  we  find  him  at  once  busying  him- 
self about  an  expedition  to  Guiana.  He  sailed  in  1617  with  thirteen 
vessels  and  a  considerable  body  of  men,  for  the  expectation  of  great  re- 
sults ran  high,  and  his  personal  popularity  had  been  much  increased 
through  sympathy  for  his  undeserved  punishment.  Arriving  on  the 
coast  of  Guiana,  he  dispatched  an  exploring  party  up  the  Orinoco.  At 
St.  Thomas  they  encountered  the  Spaniards  and  were  driven  back  with 


RENEWS    THE  SEARCH. 


57 


loss,  among  others  that  6f  the  eldest  and  favorite  son  of  Raleigh.  Nor 
had  they  heard  anything  further  of  the  sapphire  or  gold  mountain,  or  of 
the  city  and  people  of  Manoa.  On  their  return,  Raleigh  sailed  for  New- 
foundland to  refit  and  revictual,  purposing  to  renew  the  search,  but  his 
men  mutinied  and  insisted  on  sailing  back  to  England,  where  they 
arrived  in  July,  1618.  Raleigh,  broken  in  spirit  and  fortune,  soon  found 
that  his  English  enemies  were  as  unrelenting  as  his  Spanish  foes;  and 
through  their  united  efforts  consent  to  his  execution  on  the  old  sentence 
was  obtained  from  the  weakly  compliant  James  I. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

VOYAGES    OF     THE     DUTCH NORTHEAST     PASSAGE     AGAIN BARENTZ 

REACHES    ORANGE      ISLANDS GERRIT      DE    VEER SICKNESS    AND 

DEATH — SURROUNDED     BY    BEARS     AND     FOXES REAPPEARANCE 

OF    THE    SUN BURIAL    OF    BARENTZ VOYAGE    OF    VAN    NOORT 

FIGHT    WITH    PATAGONIANS DEFEAT    THE    SPANISH. 

This  brave,  enterprising,  and  industrious  people  had  scarcely  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  their  independence,  when  they  began  to  turn 
their  attention  to  the  question  of  the  age — another  route  to  India.  In- 
deed, that  independence  was  not  yet  acknowledged  by  their  late  masters, 
and  the  formal  recognition  of  the  right  of  the  Netherlands  to  a  place  in 
the  family  of  nations,  was  stubbornly  resisted  by  their  oppressors  until 
1609.  The  narrow  limits  of  the  ''Seven  Provinces"  naturally  impelled 
them  to  seek  a  position  among  maritime  States.  And  as  the  southern 
avenues  to  the  coveted  commerce  of  the  East  were  controlled  by  Spain, 
they  were  driven,  like  the  English,  to  search  in  northern  latitudes  for  a 
route  to  China.  Their  first  efforts  were  directed  to  the  exploration  of 
the  Northeast  Passage.  And  as  a  practical  convenience  toward  the  ex- 
ecution of  that  project,  they  proceeded  to  establish  trading  posts  at  Kola, 
in  Lapland,  and  at  Archangel,  in  Russia.  The  failure  of  the  English  to 
penetrate  the  Straits  of  Kara  suggested  the  idea  of  going  to  the  north  of 
Nova  Zembla,  in  which  they  were  encouraged  by  the  counsels  and  sug- 
gestions of  Peter  Plaucius,  an  adept  in  the  nautical  science  of  the  day,  as 
well  as  a  distinguished  theologian  and  astronomer. 

THE   NORTHEAST   PASSAGE  AGAIN. 

In  1594  the  merchants  of  Amsterdam,  Enkhuysen  and  Middelburg 
fitted  out  a  squadron  of  three  vessels  to  institute  a  search  for  the  North- 
east Passage.  The  command  of  these  they  gave  to  Cornelius  Corne- 

58 


BARENTZ  REACHES  ORANGE  ISLANDS.  59 

lizoon,  Brant  Ysbrantzoon,  and  Willem  Barentz,  of  whom  the  last 
has  become  the  most  famous.  They  left  the  Texel  on  June  6th,  with 
Barentz  in  command  of  the  "Mercury."  Having  reached  the  coast  of 
Lapland,  they  proceeded  eastward  toward  Nova  Zembla,  where  they 
divided.  Barentz,  keeping  to  the  west  of  that  island,  struck  toward 
the  north;  the  other  two  continued  in  the  same  direction  as  before  until 
they  reached  what  they  called  Vaigats  (Wind-hole)  Strait,  south  of 
Kara  Strait,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  Vaigats  Island.  It  was  this 
Kara  Strait  that  the  English  had  found  impassable  by  reason  of  the  ice 
gorge  which  they  there  encountered.  The  Dutch,  more  fortunate  in 
having,  gone  farther  south,  and  in  experiencing  a  more  favorable  season, 
made  their  way  through,  though  with  the  utmost  difficulty. 

Arriving  at  the  eastern  entrance  of  the  strait,  they  saw  to  their  great  de- 
light a  fine  expanse  of  blue  open  sea  stretching  to  the  horizon,  now  known 
as  the  Gulf  of  Kara.  Finding,  too,  that  the  land  to  their  right  receded 
rapidly  to  the  southeast,  they  felt  triumphant.  They  had  solved  the 
great  problem;  the  promontory  they  had  just  doubled  could  be  no 
other  than  the  famous  Cape  Tabis  of  Pliny,  and  but  four  hundred  miles 
of  sea  separated  them  from  Canton,  in  China.  They  did  not  know 
that  they  were  distant  from  the  northeastern  point  of  Asia  120°,  or 
one-third  of  the  whole  circumference  of  the  globe.  Entirely  satisfied 
of  the  immense  value  of  their  discovery,  they  hastened  back  full  of 
patriotic  enthusiasm  for  the  fame  and  profit  of  their  young  country,  to 
enable  the  government  to  take  proper  measures  for  securing  the  fruits 
of  their  prodigious  success.  Meanwhile  Barentz  had  doubled  Cape 
Nassau  and,  July  loth,  encountered  great  fields  of  ice,  through  which 
he  fought  his  arduous  way  until  he  reached  Orange  Islands  at  the 
north  of  Nova  Zembla,  latitude  77°,  early  in  August.  He  ascertained 
the -latitudes  of  several  points  with  rare  precision  for  those  days,  and 
proceeded  to  make  the  homeward  voyage.  On  his  way  he  met  his 
former  companions  on  the  coast  of  Lapland,  and  the  disgusted  Barentz, 
with  the  exultant  Brant  and  Cornelius,  returned  together  to  the  Texel. 

The  merchants    of    Rotterdam    now  combined  with   those   of  the 
three  cities  interested  in  the  former  venture,  and  together   they  fitted 


60  LOCKED  IN  THE  ICE. 

out  six  vessels  for  a  second  voyage,  laden  with  wares  for  the  Eastern 
market.  This  squadron  was  placed  under  the  supreme  command  of 
James  Van  Heemskerke,  with  Barentz  as  chief  pilot.  To  it  was  added 
a  yacht,  the  sole  duty  of  which  was  to  serve  as  a  dispatch  boat  to 
bring  back  the  tidings  that  the  fleet  had  safely  entered  the  Gulf  of 
Kara.  But  merchants  and  voyagers  were  doomed  to  disappointment. 
The  Vaigats  Strait  was  found  impassable,  being  blocked  by  huge 
masses  of  ice  which  defied  the  continued  efforts  of  the  determined  mar- 
iners. Finding  that  the  impossible  would  not  yield  to  their  wishes  or 
exertions,  they  sadly  retraced  their  course,  and  arrived  in  the  Texel, 
Sept.  1 8, 1595,  with  feelings  quite  different  from  their  predecessors' of 
the  previous  year. 

Yet  another  trial  was  decided  upon,  and  May  16,  1596,  two  vessels 
were  sent  out  under  command  of  Heemskerke  and  John  Cornelizoon 
Rijp  or  Ryp,  with  Barentz  again  as  pilot,  and  Gerrit  de  Veer,  who 
became  the  historian  of  the  voyage,  as  mate.  Passing  the  Shetland  and 
Faroe  Islands,  they  encountered  ice  on  the  5th  of  June  before  reaching 
Bear  Island,  where  they  landed  on  the  nth,  and  which  they  so  named 
because  there  they  had  found  and  killed  a  bear.  On  the  I9th  they  discovered 
the  land  which  they  named  Spitzbergen,  and  which  they  supposed  was 
a  part  of  Greenland.  They  explored  the  west  coast  for  a  considerable 
distance  to  the  north,  but  were  compelled  by  the  ice  to  fall  back  on  Bear 
Island.  Here  the  vessels  separated,  Heemskerke  and  Barentz  slowly 
making  their  way  through  the  ice  toward  Nova  Zembla,  having  heard 
that  from  the  highest  points  of  Orange  Island  the  open  sea  had  been 
seen  to  the  southeast. 

On 'the  1 6th  of  July  they  reached  the  west  coast  of  Nova  Zembla, 
then  known  to  western  navigators  as  Willoughby's  Island.  Pro- 
ceeding northward  they  doubled  Cape  Nassau  on  the  6th  of  August, 
and  the  Orange  Islands  some  days  later.  Having  reached  the 
same  latitude  previously  attained  by  Barentz  in  his  first  voyage,  they  were 
compelled  by  the  ice  to  turn  south  on  the  eastern  coast,  where  they  soon 
became  ice-locked  in  a  small  harbor,  latitude  75°  43',  in  which  they  had 
taken  refuge.  "  The  cakes  of  ice,  "  says  De  Veer,  "  began  to  pile  up 


61 


62  DE  VEER— DISAPPEARANCE   OF  THE  SUN. 

around  the  ship  on  all  sides,  and  pressed  against  it  so  closely,  that  it  com- 
menced to  crack  and  give  way,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  vessel  would 
break  into  a  thousand  pieces  ;  and  when  the  ice  moved  it  pushed 
and  raised  the  ship  as  if  some  huge  machine  were  elevating  it  in 
the  air." 

Giving  up  all  hope  of  extracting  themselves  from  the  ice,  they  pro- 
ceeded .  to  effect  a  landing,  and  transport  provisions  on  shore  for  a 
winter's  sojourn  in  that  inhospitable  region.  A  few  days  later  some 
of  the  men  discovered  a  river  some  nine  miles  in  the  interior,  on  which 
they  found  floating  a  considerable  quantity  of  wood.  They  also  found 
tracks  of  the  bear  and  the  saiga,  a  species  of  antelope.  A  quantity  of 
driftwood,  probably  from  Siberia,  was  found  on  the  shore,  and  they  were 
enabled  to  build  a  warm  cabin,  large  enough  to  hold  them  all,  besides 
having  abundant  firewood,  "  for  all  that  cold  winter,  which  we  knew," 
says  De  Veer,  "  would  fall  out  to  be  extremely  bitter."  They  were  sev- 
enteen in  number,  and  under  wise,  careful  and  competent  leadership. 

By  the  2$d  of  September  the  ground  had  frozen  so  hard  that  they  could 
not  dig  -a  grave  for  their  deceased  comrade,  the  carpenter,  who,  though 
he  would  have  been  specially  useful  in  the  construction  of  their  winter 
quarters,  was  the  first  to  succumb  to  the  rigor  of  the  climate.  They 
buried  him  in  a  cleft  in  the  rocks.  On  the  3d  of  October  their  house  was 
completed,  some  of  the  ship's  furniture  being  used  in  its  construction. 
As  they  grew  apprehensive  that  the  vessel  would  soon  go  to  pieces,  they 
began  to  sleep  ashore  on  the  I2th  of  October  ;  and  soon  after  they 
carried  ashore  everything  that  could  be  of  use  to  them.  They  began 
immediately  to  reduce  the  daily  rations,  fearing  their  supplies  would  not 
hold  out.  A  chimney  was  erected  reaching  to  the  top  of  the  house,  and 
a  place  was  reserved  near  the  central  fire-place  for  a  sick  comrade.  On 
broad  shelves,  or  bunks  around  the  walls,  they  placed  their  beds,  and 
from  a  large  cask  they  extemporized  a  bath  tub,  the  surgeon  insisting  on 
cleanliness  as  absolutely  necessary  to  the  preservation  of  health.  The 
sun  soon  disappeared  entirely,  and  they  had  fairly  entered  on  the  long 
and  dreary  winter.  "  We  looked  pitifully  one  upon  the  other,"  says  De 
Veer, "  being  in  great  fear  that  if  .the  extremity  of  cold  grew  to  be  more 


MERRIMENT  IN  DANGER.  63 

and  more,  we  should  all  die  there  of  cold,  for  that  what  fire  soever  we 
made,  would  not  warm  us." 

A  Dutch  clock  transferred  from  the  ship  helped  to  remind  them  of 
home,  as  well  as  to  mark  the  slow  march  of  time.  The  house  was  soon 
covered  with  snow  several  feet  deep,  and  to  get  out  they  had  to  tunnel  a 
pathway.  During  one  period  of  adverse  winds  for  four  davs  the  fire 
would  not  burn,  and  the  ice  grew  two  inches  thick  on  the  sides  of  their 
bunks,  while  their  clothes  were  thickly  covered  with  frost.  In  a  short 
time  they  began  to  be  surrounded  by  bears  and  foxes,  who  threatened  to 
tear  the  roof  off  the  house;  and  the  foxes  learned  to  climb  down  the 
chimney.  They  trapped  several  of  these,  and  shot  some  bears,  the  skins 
of  both  proving  a  great  help  in  warding  off  the  intense  cold.  They 
used  the  flesh  of  the  foxes  for  food,  but  through  some  unaccountable 
prejudice  they  failed  to  utilize  the  more  valuable  bear's-meat,  which 
would  have  been  a  great  preventive  of  the  scurvy,  from  which  they 
suffered. 

Early  in  December  a  violent  storm  arose,  blowing  from  the  northeast 
and  producing  intense  cold,  when  they  made  a  great  fire  of  coal,  which 
they  brought  from  the  vessel.  Closing  every  crevice,  and  even  the 
chimney,  to  retain  the  genial  warmth,  they  soon  began  to  complain  of 
dizziness,  whereupon  one  ran  to  open  the  door  and  another  the  chimney, 
when  they  recovered.  Notwithstanding  their  constant  privations,  and 
often  intense  sufferings  in  exceptional  weather,  they  labored  to  maintain 
a  cheerful  spirit.  On  January  the  5th  (  1597),  the  eve  of  Twelfth  Night, 
a  feast  long  celebrated  throughout  all  parts  of  Europe,  they  proposed  to 
have  a  little  merriment  suitable  to  the  occasion.  "  We  prayed  our 
Master,''  says  De  Veer,  "  that  we  might  be  merry,  and  said  that  we 
were  content  to  spend  some  of  the  wine  that  night  which  we  had  spared, 
and  which  was  our  share  (half  a  pint)  every  second  day,  and  whereof  for 
certain  days  we  had  not  drunk.  And  so  that  night  we  made  merry,  and 
drew  lots  for  king.  And  thereof  we  had  two  pounds  of  meal,  whereof 
we  made  pancakes  with  oil,  and  every  man  had  a  white  buiscuit,  which 
we  sopt  in  the  wine.  And  so  supposing  that  we  were  in  our  own  coun- 
try, and  amongst  our  friends,  it  comforted  us  as  well  as  if  we  had  made 


64  REAPPEARANCE  OF  THE  SUN. 

a  great  banquet  in  our  own  house.  And  we  also  made  trinkets,  and  our 
gunner  was  made  king  of  Novaya  Zemlya,  which  is  at  .least  800  miles 
long,  and  lyeth  between  two  seas." 

January  24th  the  sun  reappeared,  and  though  they  lost,  the  same 
day,  one  of  their  number  who  had  been  ill  all  winter,  their  hopes  rose 
higher;  and  on  the  28th,  the  day  being  fine,  they  played  a  game  of  ball 
in  the  bracing  northern  air.  Early  in  March  the  ice  began  to  move,  but 
they  could  not  yet  leave  their  quarters.  April  I5th  they  visited  the 
ship,  which  they  found  in  better  condition  than  they  had  anticipated. 
May  ist  the  men  thought  they  might  leave,  but'  the  more  experienced 
Barentz  declared  they  would  have  to  wait  a  month,  as  the  vessel  could 
not  be  liberated  sooner;  and  that  it  was  doubtful  whether  she  would  be 
found  seaworthy.  In  the  event  of  her  proving  unsafe  he  promised 
that  they  would  rig  out  the  two  boats  for  the  homeward*  voyage.  On 
the  2Oth,  becoming  satisfied  that  the  ship  must  be  abandoned,  they  began 
with  a  will  to  get  the  boats  in  readiness.  It  was,  however,  the  middle 
of  June  before  they  took  leave  of  their  late  residence,  and,  doubtless  not 
without  misgivings,  trusted  themselves  to  their  frail  crafts  for  so  long  a 
voyage.  Barentz  inclosed  a  record  of  their  mishap  in  a  gun  barrel, 
which  he  fastened  to  the  chimney,  that  should  a  search  party  be  sent, 
they  might  learn  their  fate.  They  proceeded  by  the  way  they  had  come 
and  in  a  short  time  reached  Orange  Island. 

In  the  interval,  and  when  only  four  days  out,  the  boats  got  hemmed  in 
by  enormous  blocks  of  ice,  and  giving  themselves  up  for  lost,  they  silently 
took  leave  of  each  other.  But  De  Veer,  with  the  instinct  of  self-preserva- 
tion, taking  the  end  of  a  strong  rope  in  his  hand,  clambered  from  block  to 
block  until  he  reached  a  large  floe,  on  which  they  succeeded  in  getting  first 
the  sick,  then  the  stores,  and  finally  the  two  boats  safely  landed — a  feat  often 
performed  since,  but  for  those  days  of  inexperience  it  can  be  regarded  as 
nothing  less  than  a  brilliant  stroke  of  genius.  The  boats  had  been  badly 
nipped,  and  they  repaired  them  as  well  as  they  could  on  the  ice  floe.  Here 
it  was  that  Barentz,  and  one  of  the  sailors,  Nicholas  Andrien,  died.  On 
the  20th  of  June,  while  floating  northward  with  the  ice,  on  the  west  coast 
of  Nova  Zembla,  the  worthy  pilot  closed  the  voyage  of  his  life,  dying 


BURIAL    OF  BARENTZ.  65 

very  unexpectedly  to  the  men,  though  apparently  not  to  himself.  "  The 
death  of  William  Barentz  made  us  all  feel  very  sad,  seeing  that  he  was 
our  principal  guide  and  pilot,  and  one  in  whom  we  had  every  confidence. 
But  we  could  not  resist  the  will  of  God,  and  this  thought  made  us  calm," 
says  the  faithful  chronicler. 

After  committing  the  remains  of  Barentz  to  the  deep,  and  fre- 
quently baling  their  repaired  boats  to  keep  them  from  sinking,  they 
succeeded  in  reaching  Cape  Nassau.  Hauling  the  larger  boat  ashore 
for  repairs,  she  was  upset,  and  they  lost  nearly  all  their  provisions  and 
came  very  near  losing  their  lives.  On  the  igth  of  July  they  again  put 
to  sea,  and  on  the  28th  they  had  reached  the  southern  point  of  the 
island.  In  the  open  sea  beyond  the  boats  became  separated  in  a  fog, 
'and  did  not  again  meet  until  they  reached  Cape  Kanine,  at  the  entrance 
to  the  White  Sea.  Meanwhile,  their  scanty  stores  had  been  supple- 
mented from  time  to  time  by  the  kindness  of  Russian  fishermen  with 
whom  they  chanced  to  fall  in.  This,  with  rigid  self-denial  in  the  use 
of  what  remained  of  their  original  stock,  prevented  them  from  dying 
of  starvation.  They  now  learned  that  at  Kola  they  would  find  three 
vessels  of  their  country  getting  ready  to  return  to  Holland. 

Sending  one  of  their  number  across  the  gulf  with  a  Lapp  guide,  he  re- 
turned in  three  days  with  a  letter  signed  John  C.  Rijp,  the  commander 
of  the  second  ship,  from  which  they  had  become  separated  thirteen 
months  before.  Sept.  30,  Rijp  followed  with  a  boat-load  of  provisions, 
and  conveyed  his  countrymen  to  Kola,  and  thence  to  Amsterdam. 
They  had  been  104  days  in  performing  the  trip  from  their  winter 
quarters  to  Cape  Kanine.  Four  of  the  seventeen  had  died;  the 
thirteen  survivors  were  welcomed  home  with  much  enthusiasm,  and 
entertained  at  the  expense  of  the  city  until  they  had  received  the  money 
that  was  due  them.  Ten  years  later,  in  1607,  Heemskerke  received 
the  command  of  a  fleet  of  twenty-six  vessels,  and  lost  his  life  in  a  naval 
battle  with  the  Spaniards. 

VOYAGE   OF  VAN   NOORT. 

On    the    2d    of  July,    1598,    Oliver   Van  Noort,    a    young    but 
experienced  navigator,  left  Amsterdam  with  two  ships,  two  yachts  and 
5 


06  ATTACKED  ST  PATAGONIANS. 

248  men.  The  second  in  command  was  James  Claaz  d'Ulpenda,  and 
an  able  English  seaman  named  Melis,  was  pilot.  The  Northwest  Pas- 
sage had  been  sought  in  vain  by  the  English,  and  the  Northeast  one 
by  both  English  and  Dutch,  with  substantially  the  same  result.  For, 
although  a  route  had  been  discovered,  it  proved  impracticable  or  uncer- 
tain on  account  of  the  ice  blockade  to  which  it  was  subject.  It  became 
necessary  then  to  abandon  all  hope  of  share  in  the  profitable  traffic 
with  the  East,  or  else  break  up  the  Spanish  monopoly  of  the  southern 
route  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

The  latter  alternative  was  chosen,  and  Van  Noort,  with  his  little 
band  of  248  men,  undertook  to  fight  his  way  to  the  Spice  Islands,  if  he 
could  not  succeed  in  eluding  the  watchfulness  of  his  enemies.  Knowing 
that  the  route  by  the  Straits  of  Magellan  was  the  least  frequented  by 
the  Spaniards,  he  determined  on  pursuing  that  course.  After  touching 
at  Goree,  they  landed  on  Prince's  Island,  on  the  Gulf  of  Guinea,  where 
they  lost  twenty-one  men  including  the  pilot  and  a  brother  of  Van 
Noort,  at  the  hands  of  the  Portuguese.  They  discovered  Annobon 
Island  on  Jan.  5,  1599,  and  sailed  thence  for  the  coast  of  Brazil.  Driven 
off  by  the  hostile  Portuguese  and  natives  with  the  loss  of  seven  men, 
they  reached  a  small  island  off  the  coast,  where  they  found  fresh  pro- 
visions and  water,  of  which  they  were  much  in  need.  The  admiral's  ship 
was  injured  by  being  driven  on  the  rocky  coast  of  the  Island  of  Santa 
Clara,  and  one  of  the  yachts  was  abandoned  for  want  of  men.  Noort 
also  lost  one  of  his  captains,  who  was  buried  at  Port  Desire.  Here  they 
were  attacked  by  the  Patagonians,  losing  some  men,  but  wreaking  a  ter- 
rible revenge;  they  annihilated  the  whole  tribe.  This  was  but  a  few 
days  before  the  close  of  the  year  1599.  Some  weeks  later  they  lost  one 
of  the  two  larger  vessels  in  a  storm,  and  the  squadron  was  reduced  to 
the  flag-ship  and  one  yacht. 

But  now  their  fortunes  began  to  mend.  They  were  kindly  received  by 
the  natives  of  some  islands  on  the  Pacific  coast  which  they  had  reached 
through  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  The  rich  settlements  of  the  Spaniards  in 
Chili  and  Peru  afforded  opportunities  for  plunder  of  which  Noort  and  his 
men  were  not  slow  to  avail  themselves.  In  those  days  English  and  Dutch 


BATTLE  WITH  SPANIARDS.  87 

as  well  as  Spaniards  and  Portuguese,  were  guilty  of  cruelties  and  outrages 
on  non-combatants  and  their  defenseless  cities,  which  would  now  send  a 
thrill  of  horror  throughout  the  civilized  world.  Their  own  men  too,  on 
the  slightest  presumption  of  insubordination  or  discontent,  were  treated 
with  a  barbarism  equally  inhuman.  They  nailed  them  by  their  hands  to 
the  masts,  abandoned  them  on  desert  islands,  or — most  humane  of  all 
the  penalties  known  to  that  bloody  period — put  them  to  death. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  September,  1600,  when  they  bore  away 
from  the  American  coast  to  cross  the  Pacific.  They  reached  the  Philip- 
pine Islands,  Oct.  14,  where  they  took  vengeance  on  the  Portuguese 
for  the  slaughter  of  their  comrades.  But  they  were  swayed  more  by  a 
spirit  of  cruelty  and  rapacity  than  of  retribution  for  injuries  received,  for 
even  the  Chinese  junks  which  they  encountered  in  these  eastern  waters 
shared  the  same  fate  as  the  ships  and  settlements  of  their  western  ene- 
mies, the  Spaniards  and  Portuguese.  In  truth,  the  authorized  naval  forces 
of  those  days  were  but  little  better  than  freebooters  and  pirates,  and 
often  fell  below  the  standard  of  the  outlawed  buccaneers.  Finally  the 
Dutch  fell  in  with  two  Spanish  ships  which  gave  them  battle.  In  this 
engagement  they  lost  five  men  killed,  and  twenty-five  taken  prisoners, 
and  about  as  many  wounded.  They  also  lost  one  of  their  ships;  but  the 
Spaniards  lost  two  hundred  men,  and  their  flag-ship  took  fire  and  was 
destroyed.  Noort,  now  in  command  of  only  a  single  vessel,  had  the  pecu- 
liar good  fortune  to  fall  in  with  a  rich  prize,  a  vessel  of  the  enemy  laden 
with  a  valuable  cargo  of  spices  which  he  captured  in  the  waters  of  Bor- 
neo. He  made  all  haste  to  reach  home  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
arrived  at  Rotterdam,  Aug.  26,  1601,  after  a  voyage  of  over  three 
years.  He  was  the  first  of  his  country  to  circumnavigate  the  world;  and 
his  last  piece  of  success  reimbursed  his  patrons  for  the  outlay  incurred. 
But  what  was  of  more  importance  he  had  shown  his  countrymen  that 
the  Spaniards  were  not  more  invincible  on  the  ocean  than  they  had 
already  found  them  on  the  land.  The  history  of  this  voyage  was  pub- 
lished the  following  year,  and  attracted  so  much  attention  that  it  was 
translated  into  several  languages.  Van  Noort  survived  his  return  at 
least  ten  years,  being  on  record  as  late  as  1611. 


68  VOTAGE   OF  MAHU. 

But,  although  this  famous  voyage  attracted  the  attention  of  the  world, 
and  won  great  credit  for  Van  Noort  among  his  countrymen  for  the. skill 
and  courage  he  had  displayed,  it  was  of  little  commercial  advantage. 
Almost  simultaneously  with  Van  Nooft's  expedition,  a  squadron  of  five 
ships,  fitted  out  mainly  at  the  expense  of  the  merchant  Verhagen,  left 
Rotterdam  under  the  command  of  James  Mahu,  with  the  famous  Eng- 
lishman, William  Adams,  as  pilot,  and  Sebald  de  Weert  as  captain  of  one 
of  the  vessels.  They  lingered  too  long  on  the  African  coast,  losing 
Mahu  and  some  of  the  crews.  Reaching  the  Straits  of  Magellan  they 
were  detained  therein  five  months  by  adverse  winds,  and  suffered  much 
from  scarcity  of  provisions,  and  the  severity  of  the  climate.  They  were 
reduced  to  the  necessity  of  eating  raw  herbs  and  shell-fish,  which  pro- 
duced disease,  and  added  to  their  misery.  Some  of  the  ships  finally 
effected  a  passage  into  the  Pacific,  but  were  dispersed  in  a  storm.  Adams 
•succeeded  in  reaching  Japan  in  one  of  these  vessels,  with  only  five  men 
able  to  work  on  their  arrival.  His  fortune,  and  that  of  his  companions 
in  Japan,  possesses  much  interest,  but  is  foreign  to  the  scope  of  this 
work.  Sebald  de  Weert,  detained  in  the  strait  four  months  longer, 
where,  too,  Van  Noort  passed  him  by  without  rendering,  any  assistance, 
finally  effected  his  escape  into  the  Atlantic,  and  discovered  the  islands 
now  known  as  the  Falkland,  but  which  he  named  the  Sebaldine.  After 
a  tedious  voyage  homeward  he  reached  the  Meuse  some  time  in  the  year 
1600,  with  only  thirty-five  men  out  of  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and  rive. 
This  expedition,  or  the  part  of  it  which  arrived  in  Japan,  led  to  the  sup- 
planting of  the  Portuguese  by  the  Dutch  in  the  lucrative  trade  with  that 
country. 


PART    II. 


flRETIE 


"  Up  /up!  let  us  a  voyage  take  / 

Why  sit  ive  here  at  ease? 
Find  us  a  -vessel  tight  and  strong, 

Bound  for  the  northern  seas. 
There  shall  ive  see  thejierce  white  bear; 

The  sleepy  seals  aground, 
And  the  spouting  whales  that  to  and  fro 
Sail  with  a  dreary  sound" 

HOWITT. 


70 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FIRST    ARCTIC    VOYAGE    UNDER     BENNET KILL      MANY    WALRUSES 

WALRUSES    BROUGHT  TO    ENGLAND VOYAGE    OF    KNIGHT    IN    THE 

HOPE  WELL ATTACKED    BY    SAVAGES VOYAGES     OF    HUDSON  — 

FOURTH    AND    LAST    VOYAGE    OF    HUDSON. 

« 

In  1602  the  English  renewed  their  attempts  to  find  the  Northwest 
Passage,  the  search  for  which  had  been  abandoned  after  the  last  voyage 
of  Davis  in  1587.  Capt.  Wey  mouth  was  intrusted  with  the  new  ven- 
ture. Passing  through  Hudson's  Strait,  he  reached  the  entrance  to  Hud- 
son's Bay  without  disaster;  but  was  driven  back  by  a  violent  storm  and 
returned  without  achieving  any  definite  result. 

Distinctively  Arctic  voyages  under  English  auspices  began  with  the 
first  voyage  of  Steven  Bennet,  in  1603.  He  sailed  with  one  small  ves- 
sel, the  "Godspeed,"  fitted  out  at  the  expense  of"  the  worshipful  Francis 
Cherie,"  and  laden  with  a  cargo  which  he  was  instructed  to  dispose  of 
at  Kola,  the  Dutch  trading  post  in  the  north  of  Lapland.  After  selling 
his  goods  he  was  to  proceed  to  the  Arctic  Ocean  on  a  voyage  of  discov- 
ery. Bennet  complied  with  his  instructions  in  both  particulars.  On  his 
voyage  from  Kola  northward  he  re-discovered  the  island  which  Ba- 
rentz  had  discovered  nine  years  before,  and  called  Bear  Island.  Here 
Bennet  found  foxes,  but  no  inhabitants,  and  named  the  island  Cherry 
Island.  He  determined  its  latitude  to  be  74°  30'.  He  made  a  second 
voyage  thither  in  1604,  and  found  it  covered  with  wild  fowl  and  sea- 
horses or  walruses.  The  teeth  of  the  latter  were  a  valuable  article  of 
commerce,  and  Bennet's  crew  endeavored  to  secure  a  return  cargo  of 
them.  They  cruelly  blinded  the  animals  with  small  shot,  and  then  at- 
tempted to  kill  them  with  hatchets.  But  their  cruelty  did  not  avail 
them  much,  for  out  of  a  thousand  which  they  maimed,  they  killed  only 

fifteen.     In  1605,  being  better  equipped,  they  succeeded  not  only  in  get- 

71 


72  ENTERPRISE  OF  THE  MUSCO  VT  COMPANT. 

ting  a  cargo  of  teeth,  but  in  boiling  the  blubber  into  oil.  In  1606,  Ben- 
net  collected  in  a  fortnight  three  hogsheads  of  teeth  and  twenty-two  bar- 
rels of  oil.  In  1608,  he  was  again  on  Cherry  Island,  and  in  seven  hours 
he  and  his  companions  killed  1,000  walruses.  A  couple  were  brought 
alive  to  England,  and  the  male  was  exhibited  at  court,  "  where  the  king 
and  many  honorable  personages  beheld  it  with  admiration  for  the 
strangeness  of  the  same,  the  like  whereof  had  never  before  been  seen  in 
England.  Not  long  after  it  fell  sick  and  died.  As  the  beast  in  shape  is 
very  strange,  so  it  is  of  strange  docility,  and  apt  to  be  taught,  as  by  good 
experience  we  ofteft  proved." 

The  weather  at  Cherry  Island  at  the  end  of  June,  was  reported  to  be 
calm  and  clear,  and  about  as  warm  as  in  England  at  the  same  time  of 
year.  Three  lead  mines  were  discovered;  and  in  1609  five  English  ships 
were  there  at  one  time,  with  crews  numbering  182  men,  all  loading  with 
furs,  oil  and  walrus  teeth. 

Meanwhile,  John  Knight  had  been  sent  out  by  the  Muscovy  Com- 
pany, April  18,  1606,  in  command  of  the  "  Hopewell  "  of  40  tons,  to 
resume  the  search  for  the  Northwest  Passage.  He  had  previously  com- 
manded a  Danish  vessel  on  a  voyage  to  Greenland,  and  was  a  brave 
and  experienced  seaman.  Detained  for  a  fortnight  in  Pentland  Firth, 
he  struck  across  the  Atlantic  on  a  due  west  course,  May  12,  and  about 
the  middle  of  June  found  himself  on  the  coast  of  Labrador.  Here  he 
encountered  stormy  weather,  with  a  north  wind  which  brought  down 
upon  him  huge  masses  of  ice.  The  ship  was  soon  surrounded  with  it, 
and  her  rudder  was  carried  away.  Her  hull  also  had  been  severely 
nipped,  and  Capt.  Knight  was  fain  to  take  refuge  in  the  first  inlet,  to 
overhaul  his  ship  and  examine  the  stores  and  provisions. 

His  first  chance  not  proving  satisfactory,  he  crossed  the  inlet  on  the 
next  day,  the  26th  of  June,  with  his  brother  and  one  of  the  crew.  They 
were  seen  to  ascend  a  small  hill  not  far  from  the  shore,  and  before  passing 
to  the  other  side  they  waved  their  hats  as  a  parting  salutation.  Disappear- 
ing on  the  other  side,  the  boatmen  waited  on  the  shore  for  their  return. 
The  day  wore  on,  the  sun  went  down,  and  evening  darkened  into  night 
without  bringing  any  sign  of  their  return.  The  men  fired  off  their 


A  TTACKED  B  T  SA  VA GES.  73 

muskets,  shouted  long  and  loudly,  and  blew  their  trumpets,  but  no 
answer  came.  Disheartened  and  alarmed  they  pulled  back  to  the  ship 
with  the  sad  news  that  the  commander  and  his  companions  were  doubt- 
less lost.  To  add  to  their  mishap  the  night-  grew  excessively  cold,  and 
all  their  efforts  to  reach  the  shore  next  morning  proved  unavailing.  Ice 
hemmed  them  in  on  every  side,  and  despite  their  anxiety  to  go  to  the 
relief  of  the  missing,  the  most  sanguine  were  compelled  to  yield  to  the 
impossible,  and  leave  the  absent  to  their  own  resources.  After  two  days 
of  this  painful  uncertainty,  rendered  doubly  dreary  by  their  apprehen- 
sions for  the  safety  of  their  friends,  the  knowledge  of  their  fate  came 
to  them. 

On  the  night  of  June  28  they  were  themselves  attacked  by  the 
savages,  to  the  number  of  perhaps  fifty,  who  appeared  determined 
to  make  them  share  the  same  fate.  They  were  only  eight,  but  they 
made  up  their  minds,  if  die  they  must,  to  sell  their  lives  dearly.  With 
a  large  mastiff,  the  companion  of  their  voyage,  in  front,  they  attacked 
the  fierce  savages,  and  soon  dispersed  them.  The  volley  of  musketry 
created  havoc  in  their  ranks  as  well  as  a  superstitious  dread,  and  they 
fled  to  their  canoes  and  made  off  in  hot  haste.  They  got  entangled  in 
the  ice-floe,  and  were  long  in  getting  beyond  range  of  the  muskets,  and 
as  volley  after  volley  from  the  weapons  of  the  besieged  struck  them, 
cries,  groans  and  lamentations  rent  the  air,  and  made  the  night  hideous. 
They  were  small  of  stature,  of  a  tawny  color,  and  slightly  built,  with  lit- 
tle or  no  beard,  and  flat  noses.  Dreading  the.  return  of  the  savages  in 
increased  numbers,  the  Englishmen  preferred  to  trust  their  lives  to  the 
ice-covered  sea  in  their  disabled  ship  rather  than  take  the  chances  of  a 
second  onslaught  from  the  barbarous  savages,  whom  they  suspected  of 
adding  cannibalism  to  their  other  atrocities.  Without  a  rudder,  and 
kept  constantly  at  the  pumps  for  three  weeks,  they  reached  the  island 
of  Fogo  on  the  northeast  coast  of  Newfoundland,  July  23,  aided 
chiefly  by  the  current  and  their  exertions  at  the  oars.  Here  they  were 
assisted  by  the  fishermen,  and  after  a  delay  of  four  weeks  spent  in  repair- 
ing the  vessel,  they  set  sail  for  England,  where  they  arrived  in  safety 
on  the  24th  of  September  of  the  same  year. 


74 


VOYAGE  BT  WAT  OF  NORTH  POLE  ATTEMPTED. 


VOYAGES  OF  HUDSON. 

In  1607  Henry  Hudson  sailed  from  England  in  command  of  one 
small  vessel  with  ten  sailors,  furnished  by  some  merchants  of  London,  to 
search  once  more  for  a  route  to  China.  This  time  it  was  neither  the 
Northwest  nor  Northeast  Passage  that  was  to  be  sought,  but  an  entirely 
new  route  by  the  North  Pole.  This  was  therefore  THE  FIRST  POLAR 
VOYAGE,  properly  so  called ;  and,  like  the  preceding  ones  by  the  other 
routes,  was  projected  in  the  interests  of  commerce.  The  plan  had  been 
suggested  eighty  years  before  by  Robert  Thome,  who  may  therefore  be 

regarded  as  the  first  visionary 
who  indulged  in  uttered  dreams 
of  reaching  the  Pole.  It  remained 
in  abeyance  while  repeated  efforts 
were  put  forth  to  find  the  desired 
route  through  more  southern  and 
less  forbidding  waters.  Whether 
now  revived  by  Hudson  or  his 
patrons  is  not  known,  but  he  was 
intrusted  with  its  execution.  He 
,  soon  reached  latitude  73°  on  the 
east  coast  of  Greenland,  and  pro- 
ceeded thence  to  the  northern 
point  of  Spitzbergen,  in  latitude  80°.  Despite  his  most  strenuous  efforts 
to  push  forward  to  the  Pole,  he  could  only  reach  81°  30',  his  fui'ther  pas- 
sage being  blocked  by  the  ice.  He  returned  to  England,  with  the  con- 
viction, often  shared  by  many  since  his  time,  that  the  passage  to  the  Pole 
was  forever  made  impassable  by  the  ice. 

In  1608  he  made  a  second  voyage,  followed  by  Barentz— an  interme- 
diate route  between  what  might  be  called  the  North  Passage  of  the  pre- 
ceding year,  and  the  Northeast  Passage  by  the  Straits  of  Vaigats.  He 
reached  Nova  Zembla  and  went  as  high  as  72°  25',  but  was  again  driven 
back  by  the  ice.  In  1609,  in  the  service  of  the  Dutch  East  India  Com- 
pany, he  tried  the  Northeast  Passage  and  was  again  baffled  by  the  ice. 


HENRY   HUDSON. 


DISCO  VERr  OF  MANHATTAN  ISLAND. 


75 


He  gave  up  all  hope  that  that  route  could  ever  be  made  available  for  the 
purposes  of  commerce,  and  proceeded  at  once  in  the  opposite  direction, 
aiming  to  make  Davis'  Strait  and  search  for  the  Northwest  Passage 
Striking  the  western  continent  in  the  region  of  Nova  Scotia,  he  sailed  to 


VIEW  ON  THE  HUDSON. 


the  south  and  explored  the  coast  to  Chesapeake  Bay,  hoping  perhaps  to 
find  a  West  Passage  to  the  Pacific.  Retracing  his  course,  he  had  the 
good  fortune  to  discover  the  island  of  Manhattan,  now  New  York,  and 
the  important  river  which  now  bears  his  name.  He  explored  the  Hud- 


76  KENNEBEC  COLONT. 

son  almost  to  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Albany,  and  took  possession 
of  the  country  in  the  name  of  the  Netherlands. 

THE  FOURTH  AND  LAST  VOYAGE.  OF  HUDSON. 

Almost  simultaneously  with  Hudson's  first  voyage  of  discovery  to 
Arctic  seas,  in  1607,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Muscovy  Company,  two 
voyages  of  colonization  to  the  coasts  of  the  North  American  continent, 
were  undertaken  at  the  expense  of  two  other  English  companies,  the 
London  and  the  Plymouth.  May  13,  1607,  twelve  days  after  the  depart- 
ure of  Hudson,  a  squadron  of  three  vessels,  under  the  command  of 
Christopher  Newport,  was  sent  out  to  Virginia.  There  were  105  col- 
onists; and  these  founded  amid  great  suffering  and  despite  much  disun- 
ion, the  first  permanent  English  settlement  in  America,  at  Jamestown. 
Among  them  were  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  who  had  sought  to  establish 
a  colony,  in  1602,  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Cod,  but  failed;  and  John 
Smith,  who  explored  Virginia  and  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  the  coast  of 
New  England,  some  years  later,  in  1614. 

The  second  English  colony  of  the  year  1607  was  the  Kennebec  col- 
ony, on  the  coast  of  Maine,  which  was  sent  out  under  the  command  of 
George  Popham,  three  months  later,  in  August.  They  were  forty-nine 
in  number,  and  failing  to  find  the  mines,  which  were  the  primary  object 
of  their  venture,  they  returned  to  England  in  1608.  The  French  also 
had  made  several  voyages  of  colonization,  and  in  1608  founded  Quebec. 
But  we  cannot  turn  aside  to  record  the  numerous  voyages  of  this  sort 
that  soon  became  an  almost  everyday  occurrence ;  and  we  must  return  to 
our  subject.  On  the  17th  of  April,  1610,  Hudson  left  London  for  his 
last  voyage.  His  ship  was  named  the  Discovery,  of  but  fifty-five  tons 
burden,  and  provisioned  for  only  six  months.  In  all  but  the  skill,  cour- 
age and  experience  of  Hudson,  this  expedition  lacked  the  chief  elements 
of  success.  It  was  specially  unfortunate  in  the  crew  selected  who,  as  th£ 
sequel  showed,  were  utterly  unworthy  of  their  brave  commander. 
On  the  ist  of  May  they  left  Harwich  on  the  southern  coast  of 
England,  and  sailed  for  the  Shetland  and  Faroe  Islands.  Leaving 
these  behind,  they  sighted  Iceland  on  the  nth,  and  being  en- 


HUDSON  BAT  DISCOVERED.  77 

veloped  in  a  fog,  and  in  danger  of  running  on  the  rocks,  they  cast 
anchor. 

When  the  fog  lifted  they  proceeded  along  the  coast  until  they 
reached  Westmanna  Islands.  They  saw  the  Jokull,  the  Snaefell, 
and  grandest  of  all,  Hecla,  the  noted  volcano,  in  the  blaze  of  an 
eruption,  and  landing  farther  on,  they  bathed  in  one  of  the  outflows 
of  the  great  geyser,  which  they  found  hot  enough  to  boil  a  fowl. 
Leaving  Iceland,  they  reached  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  in  four 
days,  and  found  it  lined  with  a  barrier  of  ice.  "  This  day,"  says 
Hudson,  "we  saw  Greenland  perfectly,  over  the  ice;  and  this  night 
the  sun  went  down  due  north,  and  rose  north-northeast,  so  plying  the  fifth 
day,  we  were  in  65°."  Turning  Cape  Farewell,  and  running  toward 
Davis'  Strait,  they  encountered  a  large  number  of  whales  in  the  vicinity 
of  Cape  Desolation.  They  now  proceeded  west-northwest,  and  at  the 
end  of  June  discovered  Resolution  Island.  Proceeding  through  the  strait 
that  bears  his  name,  and  driven  by  turns  to  all  the  points  of  the  compass 
to  escape  the  icebergs,  Hudson  discovered  and  named  several  islands  and 
capes.  Sailing  around,  buffeted  by  storms  and  ice  floe,  and  threatened 
with  destruction  from  icebergs  which  were  never  out  of  sight,  and  land- 
ing occasionally  on  an  island  or  promontory,  he  reached  the  entrance  to 
the  great  bay  that  was  destined — with  the  river  and  strait  previously 
discovered — to  preserve  his  name.  This  sea,  as  it  proved  to  be,  he  called 
Michaelmas  Bay,  because  discovered  on  the  feast  of  St.  Michael,  the 
29th  of  September.  It  has  since  been  named  Hudson,  in  his  honor. 

With  equal  modesty  he  had  called  this  discovery  of  the  previous  year, 
the  great  North  River,  through  which  he  had  vainly  hoped  to  reach  the 
Pacific,  the  River  of  the  Mountains. 

Beclouded  by  fogs,  stranded  on  shoals,  or  lodged  on  shelving  rocks,  the 
ship  made  slow  progress,  and  was  fast  becoming  leaky  and  unsafe.  The 
nights  were  long  and  cold,  and  the  ground  was  covered  with  snow.  Giv- 
ing up  all  intention  of  retracing  his  course,  doubtless  in  the  hope  of  find- 
ing the  coveted  Northwest  Passage  in  the  spring,  Hudson  now  prepared 
to  go  into  winter  quarters.  November  first  they  found  a  suitable 
place  to  haul  the  vessel  ashore,  and  by  the  tenth  they  were  frozen  in. 


78  SUPPOSED    DISCOVERT   OF  SOUTH  SEA. 

On  examination,  the  provisions  were  found  so  nearly  exhausted,  notwith- 
standing the  occasional  slight  assistance  derived  from  hunting,  that  it  be- 
came necessary  to  put  the  men  on  short  rations.  A  reward  for  every  ad- 
dition to  their  supplies  was  offered  by  the  commander  in  the  hope  of  stim- 
ulating the  men  to  extraordinary  exertions  in  hunting.  The  alternative 
of  making  an  effort  to  escape  before  they  had  been  completely  hemmed 
in  seems  to  have  been  the  choice  of  the  greater  portion  of  his  crew,  and 
his  adverse  decision  irritated  them. 

About  the  middle  of  November  the  gunner  died,  and  the  mal- 
contents attributed  his  untimely  end  to  the  severity  of  the  commander. 
Being  filled  with  the  sublime  anticipation  that  in  this  broad,  expanded  sea, 
was  to  be  found  the  outlet  so  long  desired  and  so  patiently  sought  for  more 
than  a  century  by  the  chief  navigators  of  Europe,  may  have  rendered  Hud- 
son somewhat  insensible  to  the  more  commonplace  aspirations  of  his  su- 
bordinates, who  in  the  midst  of  such  dreary  surroundings  could  not  help 
longing  for  the  sight  of  home.  And  they  felt  that  if  there  was  now  but 
little  chance  of  their  ever  enjoying  that  gratification,  it  was  all  due  to  the 
perverse  obstinacy  of  their  commander.  They  might  ere  this  have  been 
safely  under  cover  of  their  respective  roofs  in  Merrie  England,  instead  of 
facing  death  by  starvation  on  the  dreary  shores  of  this  inhospitable  land,  had 
he  yielded  to  their  suggestions  four  months  earlier. 

When  they  had  passed  through  Hudson  Strait  and  entered  the 
great  sea  in  August,  most  of  them  believed  that  the  coveted  passage 
and  South  Sea  had  alike  been  found.  Three  months  were  wasted, 
as  they  felt,  in  explorations  which  should  have  been  left  for  the  next 
season's  work,  and  the  six  months  for  which  they  had  undertaken 
service  would  have  expired  by  the  time  they  arrived  in  England. 
The  reasoning  was  specious,  but  defective.  It  ignored  the  funda- 
mental principle  of  associated  action.  Executive  authority  may  rightly 
be  counseled  or  even  remonstrated  with,  but  must  not  be  contravened 
under  penalty  of  disaster.  The  smoldering  fires  of  discontent  burned 
secretly  through  the  winter,  ready  at  any  moment  to  break  into 
inextinguishable  flame  by  the  fanning  of  any  fresh  breeze  of  disaf- 
fection which  might  arise.  Meanwhile,  they  had  been  able  to  subsist 


BARTERING  WITH  SAVAGES.  79 

fairly  well  on  their  scant  stores  and  the  proceeds  of  their  hunting.  They 
killed  a  number  of  wild  fowls — 100  dozen  of  "white  partridges"  alone — 
and  were  their  minds  not  diseased  by  the  taint  of  mutiny  they  would 
have  acknowledged  that  the  commander  was  not  without  reasonable 
grounds  for  his  action.  Indeed,  it  is  highly  probable  that  he  had  hoped 
to  reach  the  genial  clime  of  China  before  the  season  was  over;  and  when 
he  found  no  outlet  to  the  south  or  west  from  the  bay,  he  merely  resigned 
himself  to  the  inevitable.  The  hope  of  success  had  held  him  captive 
until  it  was  too  late  to  get  out.  It  was  an  untoward  mishap,  anjl  led  to 
his  untimely  and  undeserved  fate — an  error  of  judgment  for  which  he 
should  not  have  been  held  responsible. 

In  the  spring  they  were  visited  by  the  savages  who. traded  valuable 
furs  for  knives,  buttons  and  trinkets,  but  who  unfortunately  had  no  surplus 
provisions  to  barter.  On  the  breaking-up  of  the  ice  eight  men  were 
detailed  to  catch  fish,  in  which  they  had  some  success,  affording  temporary 
but  precarious  relief.  It  is  supposed  that  the  conspiracy  against  the 
commander  was  distinctly  formulated  on  that  occasion.  He  took  an- 
other boat  and  attempted  to  open  communication  with  the  natives  where 
he  had  seen  fires  occasionally  during  the  winter,  in  the  hope  of  replen- 
ishing his  stores  from  what  he  conceived  were  permanent  settlements. 
But  he  failed  to  find  any,  and  determined  to  leave  James  Bay.  The  stock 
of  provisions  was  almost  exhausted,  and  after  being  on  short  allowance 
during  the  whole  winter,  actual  starvation  now  threatened  them.  On 

O  .  * 

the  eve  of  resuming  the  voyage  with  the  purpose  of  returning  to  Eng- 
land by  the  way  they  had  come,  Hudson  doled  out  what  remained  of 
the  provisions  brought  from  home — a  loaf  of  bread  for  each,  and  five 
cheeses,  equally  divided  among  them.  Eighty  small  fishes  were  taken 
soon  after  ;  and  with  strict  self-denial  they  might,  it  is  said,  have  lived 
on  these  short  rations  for  two  weeks.  How  short  they  were  is  shown 
by  the  statement  that  in  one  day  the  boatswain  consumed  his  whole  al- 
lowance, with  the  usual  penalty  for  such  excess  when  following  on  the 
heels  of  continued  privation,  that  he  was  sick  for  several  days  in 
consequence. 

The    spring  had  passed,  and  they  had  fairly   entered  on  their  second 


80  HUDSON  AND  CREW  LOST. 

summer;  when,  on  the  2ist  of  June,  three  of  the  disaffected  suddenly 
pounced  upon  Hudson  as  he  came  on  deck,  and  securely  bound  him. 
With  his  son  John,  and  the  sick,  six  in  number,  and  the  carpenter,  sturdy 
John  King,  whom  they  were  unable  to  enlist  in  their  wicked  scheme,  the 
gallant  commander  of  the  "Discovery,"  the  immortal  Hudson,  was  thrust 
into  the  ship's  boat,  which  was  cut  adrift,  and  left  to  shift  for  itself.  The 
mutineers  then  stood  to  sea,  steering  to  the  eastward  from  their  late 
winter  quarters.  In  a  few  days  they  ran  into  .the  ice  in  a  storm,  and 
were  held  fast  fourteen  days.  It  was  probably  in  this  storm  that  Hud- 
son and  his  companions  were  lost,  as  they  were  never  afterward  seen  or 
heard  from.  So  perished  toward  the  close  of  June,  1611,  Henry  Hud- 
son, one  of  the  most  able  and  distinguished  navigators  of  any  age 
With  very  inadequate  resources  his  great  talents  secured  the  highest 
results.  One  after  another  he  tried  the  several  proposed  passages  to 
China,  and  his  clear  judgment  pronounced  them  all  impracticable,  at  least 
for  commerce.  He  searched  the  Atlantic  coast  from  the  Chesapeake 
to  Greenland,  and  satisfied  himself  that  there  remained  but  one  chance 
for  reaching  the  Pacific  by  the  Northwest,  namely,  by  the  open  sea 
south  of  Greenland.  He  probably  died  in  the  conviction  that  Hudson's 
Bay  was  not  the  opening  sought,  and  had  he  not  been  cut  off  by  the 
treachery  of  his  men,  he  might  after  one  or  two  more  voyages  have  an- 
ticipated McClure's  discovery  by  over  two  hundred  years.. 

By  the  2yth  of  July  the  ship  had  reached  the  entrance  of  the  Bay, 
and  on  the  28th  some  of  the  men  landed  to  shoot  fowl.  On  making  the 
land  at  Cape  Dudley  Diggs — so  named  the  year  before  by  Hudson  in 
honor  of  one  of  the  patrons  of  the  expedition,  as  was  Cape  Wolsten- 
holme  for  another — they  encountered  some  natives  bound  on  the  same 
errand,  with  whom  they  trafficked  peaceably.  The  next  day,  however, 
when,  unsuspicious  of  danger  they  resumed  the  intercourse,  they  were 
attacked  by  the  natives,  and  four  out  of  the  six  engaged  in  the  enter- 
prise were  either  killed  outright  or  died  within  a  few  days,  of  their 
wounds.  Others  of  the  mutineers  died  on  the  homeward  voyage,  and 
all  suffered  dreadful  privations.  They  finally  reached  Bere  Haven,  in 
Bantry  Bay,  on  the  southwest  coast  of  Ireland,  whence,  with  the  help 


THE  SURVIVORS  REACH  ENGLAND. 


81 


of  fresh  seamen  to  work  the  ship,  they  were  enabled  to  reach  England. 
Habbakuk  Pricket,  who  wrote  an  account  of  the  voyage,  and  Robert 
Billet  or  Bylot,  mate  and  acting  master  of  the  vessel  on  her  arrival, 
wWe  the  only  ones  who  presented  themselves  before  the  authorities,  the 
other  survivors  slinking  away  into  obscurity. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

VOYAGES  OF  POOLE BISCAYAN  WHALE  FISHERS BUTTON  IN  SEARCH 

OF    HUDSON — HALL'S    VOYAGE    TO    GREENLAND  —  COMMERCIAL 

VOYAGE    UNDER    BAFFIN FOTHERBY BYLOT DISCOVERY    OF 

BAFFIN'S  BAY. 

In  1610,  i6n,and  1612,  Jonas  Poole,  in  the  employ  of  the  Mus- 
covy Company,  made  three  distinct  voyages  to  the  Arctic  regions,  or 
Northern  Ocean.  Like  four  others  of  the  same  class  by  Steven  Bennet, 
1603-8,  they  were  all  divested  of  any  strong  claim  to  scientific  or 
geographical  voyages,  though  projected  in  part  for  that  purpose,  mainly, 
no  doubt,  by  the  force  of  circumstances.  On  their  arrival  in  those  waters 
the  commanders  found  very  little  to  discover  or  explore.  Seeing  no 
avenue  to  new  discoveries  in  the  wide  waste  of  water  studded  with  ice- 
bergs instead  of  islands,  they  are  not  to  be  blamed,  if,  deeming  it  of  more 
advantage  to  return  laden  than  empty,  they  turned  their  attention  to  the 
hunting  of  seals  and  walruses  on  the  coasts  already  discovered,  especially 
on  Cherry  Island,  the  Bear  Island  of  Barentz,  of  which  the  Muscovy 
Company  took  formal  and  exclusive  possession  in  1609.  In  his  first 
voyage  as  commander,  in  1610,  Poole  went  as  high  as  78°,  and  in  his 
report  emphasized  the  observation  of  some  of  his  predecessors  that  the 
climate  in  the  open  sea  toward  the  Pole  is  more  temperate  than  in  lower 
latitudes.  "  A  passage,"  he  says,  "  may  be  as  soon  attained  this  way  by 
the  Pole  as  any  unknown  way  whatsoever,  by  reason  the  sun  doth  give 
a  great  heat  in  this  climate,  and  the  ice  that  freezeth  here  is  nothing  so 
huge  as  I  have  seen  in  73°." 

He  finally  reached  79^50'  on  this  trip  which  was  intended  not 
only  to  "  catch  a  whale  or  two "  but  also  for  northern  discovery. 
These  were  his  instructions  :  "  Inasmuch  as  it  hath  pleased  Al- 
mighty God,  through  the  industry  of  yourself  and  others,  to  discover 

82 


FIRST  VOTAGE  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  LOST  EXPLORER.  83 

unto  our  nation  a  land  lying  in  eighty  degrees  toward  the  North 
Pole;  we  are  desirous  not  only  to  discover  farther  to  the  north- 
ward along  the  said  land,  to  find  whether  the  same  be  an  island  or 
a  main,  and  which  way  the  same  doth  trend,  either  to  the  eastward  or  to 
the  westward  of  the  pole;  as  also  whether  the  same  be  inhabited  by  any 
people,  or  whether  there  be  an  open  sea  farther  north  than  hath  been 
already  discovered,"  etc. 

In  1611  Poole  again  proceeded  to  the  Arctic  in  company  with 
the  first  English  ship  expressly  intended  for  whaling.  Six  Biscayans  of 
experience  in  killing  whales  were  added  to  the  crew.  Leaving  the 
whaler  at  work,  Poole  proceeded  northward  to  80°,  and  then  crossing 
westward,  he  explored  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  to  a  point  about  two 
degrees  north  of  any  previously  reached,  or  at  least  noted  on_  the  charts. 
On  his  return  to  the  whaler,  he  found  that,  with  the  aid  of  the  Biscayan 
experts,  they  had  caught  thirteen,  and  they  proceeded  together  to 
England. 

In  his  voyage  of  1612—13,  P°°le  found  no  less  than  twenty  whalers — 
six  of  them  English,  and  one  of  these  in  command  of  the  afterward  cele- 
brated William  Baffin — in  the  sea  of  Spitzbergen.  French,  Biscayan, 
Spanish  and  Dutch  were  all  represented ;  and  all  quietly  submitted  to  the 
orders  of  the  English,  who  took  exclusive  possession  of  the  island  and 
contiguous  sea  for  the  crown  of  England,  in  1613. 

BUTTON  IN  SEARCH  OF  HUDSON. 

The  first  voyage  in  search  of  a  lost  explorer  was  undertaken,  in  1612, 
by  Sir  Thomas  Button.  He  was  accompanied  by  Pricket,  the  historian 
of  Hudson's  last  voyage,  and  Bylot,  who  had  served  on  the  same  voy- 
age, as  mate.  Button  was  placed  in  command  of  two  vessels,  the  Reso- 
lution and  Discovery.  He  followed  the  route  pursued  by  Hudson 
through  the  strait  till  he  reached  Southampton  Inland.  Sailing  west  he 
fell  in  with  the  main  land  at  60°  40',  to  which  part  of  the  west  coast  of 
Hudson's  Bay  he  gave  the  name  of  Hopes  Checked.  He  then  sailed 
toward  the  south  and  discovered  the  bay  called  after  his  name.  Farther 
south,  at  57°  10',  he  discovered  Nelson  River,  on  the  i5th  of  August. 


84  VOTAGE  TO  GREENLAND. 

Here,  near  the  point  of  York  Factory,  long  the  chief  center  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company's  fur  trade,  he  made  his  preparations 
to  winter.  Some  of  the  crew  died  from  the  intensity  of  the  cold.  In 
spring  they  were  able  to  kill  a  plentiful  supply  of  game,  especially  of 
"  white  partridge,"  of  which  no  less  than  1800  dozen  are  said  to  have 
been  taken  and  consumed  by  the  crews  of  the  two  vessels. 

In  April,  the  ice  disappearing  early,  he  sailed  northward  along  the  west 
coast,  discovering  what  are  now  called  Mansfield's  Islands,  in  65°.  He  then 
proceeded  homeward,  and  arrived  in  England  in  the  autumn,  in  thirteen 
days,  from  Cape  Chudleigh,  without  having  found  any  trace  whatever 
of  the  lost  navigator.  He  carried  with  him  a  conviction,  but  on  what 
based  is  not  stated,  that  the  Northwest  Passage  would  be  found  leading 
from  Hudson's  Bay.  The  influence  of  his  name  did  much  toward  hold- 
ing his  countrymen  in  the  trammels  of  this  error  for  generations.  As 
will  be  seen  presently,  a  navigator  of  more  experience,  but  less  influence, 
attempted  to  correct  the  mistake  a  few  years  later;  but  public  opinion 
was  swayed  by  the  authority  of  a  great  name,  and  England  chose  to  err 
with  Button  rather  than  to  be  set  right  by  By  lot.  Such  things  happen 
yet,  and  in  America  as  well  as  elsewhere.  "  The  influential "  still  carry 
weight,  not  only  as  they  should  in  matters  of  which  they  are  fully  cog- 
nizant, and  qualified  to  pronounce  upon,  but  also  in  matters  entirely  for- 
eign to  their  line  of  thought  and  experience.  Herein  lies  the  mistake  of 
the  public,  "  ravished  with  the  whistling  of  a  name."  The  world  has 
been  long  held  in  the  thraldom  of  various  errors  by  the  authority  of 
great  names,  forgetting  that  one  cannot  mention  a  single  delusion  in  the 
history  of  humanity  for  which  the  authority  of  some  great  man  may 
not  be  quoted. 

HALL,  BAFFIN,  GIBBONS  AND   FOTHERBY. 

In  1612,  also,  Capt.  James  Hall,  with  William  Baffin  as  pilot,  in 
the  service  of  the  Muscovy  Company,  made  a  voyage  to  Greenland. 
Hall  had  previously  served  as  pilot  to  a  Danish  exploring  expedition  of 
three  vessels,  which  had  been  sent  to  Greenland  in  1605,  to  search  for 
the  old  Norse  colonists  in  that  quarter.  On  that  occasion  he  had  reached 


COMMERCIAL   VOTAGE  OF  BAFFIN.  85 

latitude  69°,  but  the  crews  refused  to  proceed  farther,  and  in  1606  he 
had  also  served  as  pilot  to  another  Danish  squadron  of  four  vessels, 
which  were  dispatched  in  search  of  gold  and  silver  mines  in  Greenland. 
At  Cunningham's  Ford  they  "  landed  to  see  the  silver  mine,  where  it 
was  decreed,"  says  Hall,  "  we  should  take  in  as  much  as  we  could." 
They  kidnapped  five  natives  from  a  settlement  they  found  on  the  banks 
of  the  river  in  66°  25',  and  took  them  to  Denmark.  In  1607  he  was 
compelled,  by  a  mutiny  of  his  Danish  crew,  to  return,  unsuccessful,  from 
his  third  voyage  to  Greenland,  under  Danish  auspices.  He  then  seems 
to  have  returned  to  his  native  country,  but  did  not  come  into  notice  again 
as  an  Arctic  navigator  until  1612.  On  that  ill  fated  voyage,  having 
landed  at  66°  25',  the  scene  of  the  kidnapping  venture  in  1606,  he  was 
recognized  by  one  of  the  natives,  who  flew  at  him  and  wounded  him 
with  his  lance  before  he  could  defend  himself,  or  even  perceive  his 
danger.  He  died  soon  after;  and  all  intercourse  with  the  natives  having 
ceased  with  the  attack  upon  Hall,  Baffin  and  the  crew  returned  to  Eng- 
land. It  was  in  his  report  of  this  voyage  that  Baffin  first  indicated  the 
method  of  finding  the  position  of  a  vessel  at  sea  by  observation  of  the 
heavenly  bodies. 

In  1613,  as  has  been  stated,  William  Baffin  was  in  the  sea  of  Spitz- 
bergen  with  five  other  captains,  in  the  employ  of  the  tyTuscovy  Com- 
pany. Like  his  predecessors  in  that  line — Bennet  and  Poole — and  his 
companions  of  that  season — names  unknown — Baffin  turned  the  voyage 
of  1613  mainly  into  a  commercial  venture  for  his  employers.  It  was, 
however,  on  this  voyage  that  he  remarked  the  extraordinary  refraction 
of  the  atmosphere  in  northern  latitudes,  and  determined  its  quality  at  the 
horizon  to  be  twenty-six  minutes.  He  modestly  adds:  "  I  suppose  the 
refraction  is  more  or  less  according  as  the  air  is  thick  or  clear,  which  I 
leave  for  better  scholars  to  discuss."  He  also  entertained  the  hope,  based 
on  an  open  sea  between  Greenland  and  Spitzbergen,  that  a  passage  to 
the  Pole  might  be  discovered.  He  recommended  to  the  company  an  an- 
nual appropriation  of  $750  or  $1,000  for  that  purpose,  deeming  a  small 
vessel  with  a  crew  of  ten  men  adequate  to  the  undertaking.  He  meant 
perhaps  that  such  a  vessel  detached  from  the  whaling  fleet  for  an 


86  ARCTIC  VOYAGE  UNDER  BAFFIN. 

annual  experiment  might  in  some  favorable  season  achieve  the  desired 

result. 

In  1614,  Captain  Gibbons,  a  relative  of  Sir  Thomas  Button,  and  a 
companion  in  the  search  voyage  of  1612,  proceeded  to  Hudson  Bay  in 
search  of  the  Northwest  Passage.  The  season  proved  very  different 
from  that  of  1612.  He  was  harassed  incessantly  by  high  winds,  floating 
ice,  dense  fogs  and  the  resulting  discouragement  of  the  men,  and  re- 
turned in  safety  without  accomplishing  anything. 

In  1614,  also,  Robert  Fotherby,  with  William  Baffin  as  pilot,  made 
an  Arctic  voyage,  still  in  the  service  of  the  Muscovy  Company.  Reach- 
ing latitude  80°,  they  were  repulsed  by  the  ice  and  compelled  to  return. 
And  again,  in  1615,  Fotherby,  on  another  Arctic  voyage  and  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  same  company,  essayed  the  route  of  Hudson  in  1607,  and 
like  him  was  baffled  in  the  effort  to  proceed  beyond  Spitzbergen.  He 
had  opportunity  to  correct  some  calculations  made  by  Hudson,  and  more 
definitely  establish  some  of  his  observations.  In  1615,  also,  Robert  By- 
lot,  in  company  with  Baffin,  made  a  voyage  in  search  of  the  Northwest 
Passage.  They  proceeded  to  Hudson's  Bay  and  searched  in  vain  for  an 
outlet  on  the*  west  coast  of  that  great  interior  sea,  which  they  had  sup- 
posed was  a  gulf  of  the  Pacific.  How  little  they  could  have  imagined 
that  were  the  way  as  open  as  that  by  which  they  had  come,  they  would 
yet  be  but  little  more  than  half  way  from  England  to  the  "  South  Sea" 
in  the  latitude  they  were  exploring.  All  analogy  pointed  the  other 
way;  sea  and  land  alternated  at  comparatively  short  distances.  There 
was  no  such  breadth  of  unbroken  continent  within  their  knowledge. 
Northern  Asia  presented  a  similar,  and  with  Northern  Europe,  a  broader 
continuity  uninterrupted  by  ocean  or  sea,  but  those  regions  were  as  much 
unknown  to  the  men  of  that  age  as  the  recently  discovered  New  World. 
Captain  Bylot's  report  was  unfavorable  to  the  theory  based  on  Sir 
Thomas  Button's  opinion,  that  the  Northwest  Passage  was  to  be  found 
leading  out  of  Hudson's  Bay. 

It  would  have  been  a  great  gain  had  Bylot's  opinion  prevailed 
instead  of  Button's,  and  had  Hudson's  Bay  been  thenceforth 
avoided  by  all  in  search  of  the  long-sought  passage.  The  limits, 


BAFFIN'S  BA  T  DISCO  VERED.  87 

one  might  say,  within  which  it  can  alone  be  found,  if  at  all,  are 
being  narrowed;  but  the  distance  is  long  and  the  way  lies  through  a  lab- 
yrinth of  straits  and  islands.  And  every  mile  of  the  way  is  more  or  less 
liable  to  be  blocked  by  the  ice  according  to  the  changes  of  the  wind  and 
the  seasons.  Yet  the  problem  remains,  and  challenges  humanity  for  a 
solution;  and  so  generation  after  generation  of  heroic  navigators  nerve 
themselves  to  the  task.  Each  successive  aspirant  for  the  distinction  of 
discoverer  of  the  hidden  pathway,  dwells  on  the  difficulties,  ponders  over 
them  carefully,  studies  all  the  pros  and  cons  until  he  has  solved  the  puz- 
zle in  his  closet.  He  then  enlists  some  government  or  wealthy  in- 
dividual in  his  project;  inspires  them  with  a  share  of  his  enthusiasm  or 
magnetism,  and  the  outfit  is  provided.  Arriving  at  Greenland,  he  finds 
ice-floe  and  icebergs  utterly  impenetrable  to  enthusiasm,  and  almost 
equally  so  to  sails  and  oars  and  -sledges.  And  thus  for  generations 
the  work  progresses.  Brave,  skillful  and  hardy  navigators  snatching  at 
the  risk  of  their  lives,  and  of  the  lives  of  men  under  their  charge,  here  a 
headland,  there  an  expanse  of  water;  again  an  island  or  a  river,  and 
ever  the  problem  remains  unsolved;  but  ever,  too,  the  possible  limits  are 
narrowing,  and  man  becomes  satisfied  that  if  to  be  solved  at  all,  he  is 
evermore  nearing  the  solution.  Such  problems  have  their  uses  in  the  in- 
crease of  knowledge  and  the  development  of  the  race. 

In  1616,  By  lot  and  Baffin,  giving  the  entrance  to  Hudson's  Bay  a 
wide  berth,  pushed  northward  through  Davis'  Strait  and  discovered 
what  they  named  Baffin's  Bay,  and  thus  in  their  turn  gave  currency  to 
an  error  which  had  as  much  influence  as  that  of  Button,  in  retarding  the 
actual  discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage.  They  seemed  to  have  been 
deceived  by  the  western  trend  of  Greenland,  and  to  have  on  that  account 
concluded  that  the  broad  expanse  of  water  which  they  had  discovered, 
was  land-locked  on  the  north.  They  entered  Lancaster  Sound  as  well  as 
Jones'  and  Smith's  Sounds,  and  yet  did  not  doubt  the  correctness  of  their 
conclusion.  They  believed  all  three  to  be  inclosed  gulfs  or  inlets  to  the 
bay  ;  and  so,  lacking  opportunity  to  explore  them  more  thoroughly 
they  returned  to  England,  and  Bylot's  report  of  the  voyage  gave  cur- 
rency to  the  error.  Bylot  and  Baffin  had  earned  their  reputations  as 


88  VOYAGE  OF  THE  DISCOVERY. 

careful  and  experienced  navigators' ;  and  where  their  observations  could 
be  verified  they  were  found  to  be  exceptionally  correct.  What  more 
natural  than  not  to  suspect  the  fallacy  that  had  deceived  them  ? 
Whether  Lancaster,  Jones  or  Smith  Sounds  were  straits,  or  gulfs,  was 
not  a  question  to  be  determined  by  conjectures  of  even  experienced  navi- 
gators, but  by  actual  exploration.  And  in  this  way  are  errors  often 
generated  and  perpetuated.  In  this  famous  voyage  the  crew  consisted 
of  only  fourteen  men  and  two  boys,  besides  Bylot  and  his  mate  or  pilot, 
Baffin.  The  vessel  was  the  Discovery,  the  same  that  had  so  often 
braved  the  dangers  of  those  seas.  They  saw  icebergs — fortunately  they 
did  not  meet  them  at  close  quarters — which  they  computed  to  reach  240 
feet  above  the  water,  and  to  be  probably  in  all,  1680  feet  high.  In  the 
neighborhood  of  Resolution  Island,  Baffin  witnessed  the  phenomenon  of 
seeing  the  sun  and  the  moon  at  the  same  time,  and  availed  himself  of  the 
opportunity  to  compute  the  longitude.  He  adds  :  "  If  observations  of 
this  kind,  or  some  other,  were  made  of  places  far  remote,  as  at  the  Cape 
Bona  Speranza,  Bantam,  Japan,  Nova  Albion,  and  Magellan's  Straits, 
I  suppose  we  should  all  have  a  truer  geography  than  we  have."  Ob- 
serving the  tide  to  flow  from  the  northward  they  were  at  one  time  con- 
fident of  success,  but  finding  the  water  shallow  in  the  inlets  they  had 
entered,  and  being  threatened  by  the  ice,  they  returned,  passing  Resolu- 
tion Island  in  the  beginning  of  August,  and  arriving  in  England  a 
month  later,  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

VOYAGES     OF    DUTCH     RESUMED MANHATTAN     ISLAND     OCCUPIED  — 

FIRST    VOYAGE    AROUND    THE    HORN VOYAGE    OF    MUNK CASKS 

BURST    BY    FROST VOYAGE    OF    THE    MAYFLOWER. 

The  defeat  and  death  of  Sebastian  of  Portugal  by  the  Moors  at  Al- 
cazar-Kebir  in  1578,  and  the  extinction  of  the  old  line  of  sovereigns,  by 
the  death  of  his  uncle,  the  archbishop,  King  Henry,  in  1580,  led  to  the 
union  of  that  kingdom  with  Spain,  and  the  decay  of  its  maritime  and  col- 
onial power.  The  Dutch  exerted  themselves,  with  success,  to  seize  the 
Portuguese  trade  with  the  East,  without,  however,  embarrassing  them- 
selves by  establishing  military  colonies  or  waging  wars  of  subjugation. 
The  trade,  not  the  territory,  was  what  they  sought,  and  this  they  adroit- 
ly slipped  into.  Their  late  sovereign,  Philip  II.,  who  had  just  united 
the  crowns  of  Portugal  and  Spain,  had  exhausted  his  finances  in  the  long 
effort  to  subdue  them;  and  was  more  interested  in  quarrels  with  France 
and  England,  than  in  maintaining  the  maritime  supremacy  of  his 
dominions.  This  pre-occupation  furnished  the  enterprising  Dutch  with  a 
favorable  opportunity  to  prosecute  their  schemes  of  commercial  aggrand- 
izement. They  soon  secured  a  virtual  monopoly  of  the  coasting  trade 
of  the  East.  Within  a  few  years  of  the  organization  of  their  great 
trading  corporation,  known  as  the  East  India  Company,  in  1602,  they 
had  established  central  entrepots,  for  revictualing  and  repairing,  as  well 
as  for  influencing  the  natives  and  controlling  their  trade,  at  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  Java,  Sumatra,  Borneo,  and  the  Moluccas.  They  secured 
exclusive  control  of  the  spice  trade  with  these  last  named  islands. 

Meanwhile,  through  the  good  fortune  of  the  discovery,  in  1609,  by 
Hudson,  while  temporarily  in  their  employ,  of  the  Delaware  and  the 
Hudson,  or  as  they  called  them,  the  South  and  North  Rivers,  the  Dutch 

gained  a  foothold  in  North  America,  which  they  were  not  long  in  mak- 

89 


90 


VOTAGE  AROUND  CAPE  HORN. 


ing  use  of  as  a  center  of  trade  with  the  savages  of  the  New  World.  In 
1613  they  sent  out  a  mercantile  colony  to  occupy  Manhattan  Island, 
now  New  York.  In  1614  Adriaen  Block  explored  Long  Island  Sound, 
in  a  small  vessel  built  by  him  in  American  waters;  and  the  same  year 
Cornelius  Jacobsen  Mey  was  sent  out  from  Amsterdam  to  explore  the 
coast  north  from  the  Delaware.  The  exclusiveness  of  the  Dutch  East 
India  Company  in  relation  to  the  specially  profitable  spice  trade  of  the 
Moluccas,  led  to  an  important  maritime  discovery. 

FIRST  VOYAGE  AROUND  THE  HORN. 

The  States-General  of  the*  Netherlands  were  sharers  in  the  profits  of 
the  trading  company  they  had  established,  and  had  ordained  that  none 


CAPE  HORN. 


but  the  servants  of  the  company  should  go  to  the  Spice  Islands.  As  an 
added  protection,  the  routes  by  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  the  Straits 
of  Magellan  were  by  law  reserved  for  their  exclusive  use.  The  other 
merchants  might  traffic  all  the  world  over  with  these  trifling  restrictions, 
but  to  steer  their  barks  by  either  of  these  routes  entailed  the  penalty  of 


SCANDINAVIAN  VOYAGES.  91 

confiscation  of  the  vessels,  and  arrest  of  the  owners.  Schonten,  a  navi- 
gator of  experience  and  ability,  conceived  the  project  of  finding  a  passage 
south  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  Assisted  in  the  enterprise  by  Lemaire, 
who  also  accompanied  him  as  supercargo,  or  perhaps  as  captain  of  one  of 
the  vessels,  and  some  other  merchants  of  Horn  in  Holland,  Schonten, 
in  1615,  fitted  out  two  vessels,  and  made  the  first  voyage  by  way  of  the 
American  Cape,  which  he  called  Horn  in  honor  of  the  town  in  Holland 
where  the  expedition  had  been  organized. 

The  strait  between  Terra  del  Fuego  and  Staten  Island — that  is, 
island  of  the  States  of  Holland,  also  so  named  by  Schonten — he 
named  in  honor  of  his  companion,  Lemaire,  who,  for  all  that,  it 
appears  was  himself  its  actual  discoverer.  After  many  adventures 
and  discoveries  in  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  they  arrived  in  safety 
at  the  Moluccas,  in  sixteen  months  from  the  day  of  their  departure 
from  the  Texel.  Their  vessels  were  confiscated  by  the  East  India 
Company,  and  officers  and  crew  sent  home  for  trial.  Lemaire, 
disappointed  and  excessively  chagrined  at  such  a  reward  for  the  services 
rendered,  and  the  discoveries  made  by  himself  and  companion,  died  on 
the  voyage  home,  at  Mauritius,  in  1616.  Schonten,  less  sensitive  than 
his  patron,  the  merchant,  and,  as  an  experienced  captain,  more  accus- 
tomed to  the  arbitrary  proceedings  of  the  officials  of  the  great  Dutch 
company,  lived  to  perform  several  routine  voyages  to  the  East,  and  died 
in  1625,  in  the  Bay  of  Antongil,  on  the  east  coast  of  Madagascar,  where 
he  had  taken  refuge  from  tempestuous  weather  on  his  last  return  voyage 
— a  hero  of  maritime  exploration  not  so  celebrated  as  some,  but  worthy 
of  being  rescued  from  oblivion. 

VOYAGE  OF  JENS   MUNK. 

Christian  IV.,  of  Denmark  and  Norway,  made  an  advantageous 
peace  with  Gustavus  Adolphus  in  1613;  and  was  thus  enabled  to  turn 
his  attention  to  the  welfare  of  his  subjects.  He  strengthened  the  mari- 
time interests  and  power  of  his  kingdom,  and  extended  its  commerce  to 
the  East  Indies,  where  he  was  the  first  sovereign  of  Denmark  to  gain 
possessions.  By  curbing  the  encroachments  of  the  Hause  towns  he  en- 


93  STORES  DESTROTED  BT  FROST. 

larged  the  sphere  of  inland  trade  for  his  subjects.  From  a  sovereign  of 
such  broad  ideas  and  magnanimous  purposes  it  was  natural  to  seek  for 
encouragement  in  northern  exploration.  He  had  authorized  as  early  as 
1605  the  search  expedition  under  Admiral  Lindeman,  with  the  English- 
man James  Hall,  as  pilot,  and  the  other  Greenland  voyages  of  that 
period,  which  have  been  previously  mentioned.  And  now,  in  1619,  an 
able  navigator  named  Jens  Munk  was  sent  out  in  command  of  two  ves- 
sels, one  with  forty-eight  seamen  and  the  other  with  only  sixteen.  He 
left  Elsinore  on  the  i8th  of  May  and  made  for  the  south  coast  of  Green- 
land. He  proceeded  from  Cape  Farewell  to  Hudson's  Bay  directly 
through  Hudson's  Strait,  which  he  named  Christian's  Strait  in  honor  of 
his  sovereign.  The  new  name  was  not  retained.  Danish  voyagers  were 
too  few,  and  English  too  many  in  those  waters,  to  permit  it.  He  met  a 
greqt  deal  of  ice,  and  on  the  yth  of  September  entered  what  is  known 
as  Chesterfield  Inlet  on  the  northwest  coast  of  Hudson's  Bay,  where  he 
was  compelled  to  winter.  The  ice  closed  in  rapidly  around  him,  and 
he  began  at  once  to  erect  huts.  As  soon  as  these  were  completed  they 
began  to  provide  winter  supplies  by  hunting. 

Fortunately  game  was  abundant.  Bears,  foxes,  hares,  partridges, 
and  various  wild  fowls  were  made  available,  and  they  collected 
a  goodly  store,  yet  not  enough  for  the  long  winter.  With  the 
perversity  born  of  superstition  they  interpreted  some  unusual  appear- 
ances they  noted  in  the  sun  and  moon  as  ill  omens.  And  when 
their  brandy,  wine,  and  beer,  expanded  by  the  frost,  burst  the 
casks,  a  part  of  the  evil  prophecy  was  fulfilled  because  of 
their  ignorance.  They  consumed  these  to  excess  to  keep  them  from 
being  entirely  lost,  not  knowing  that  to  lose  them  would  have  proved  a 
great  gain,  since  imprudence  in  their  use  rapidly  brought  on  disease, 
and  this  hastened  the  fulfillment  of  their  worst  forebodings.  The  regu- 
lar supplies  of  food  were  running  low,  and  the  scurvy  and  other  diseases 
to  which  they  had  fallen  a  prey  through  over-indulgence  in  spirituous 
and  malt  liquors,  unfitted  them  for  replenishing  their  stores.  Wild  fowl 
was  still  abundant,  but  they  could  not  kill  or  capture  them.  Before  the 
end  of  May,  1620,  sixty-two  out  of  the  sixty-four  men  had  perished  by 


ENGLISH  VOYAGE  OF  COLONIZATION. 


famine  and  disease,  and  only  Munk  and  two  seamen  survived.  By  su- 
perhuman exertions  they  managed  to  obtain  some  means  of  subsistence; 
and  by  scraping  away  the  snow  they  found  some  grasses,  roots,  and 
herbs,  which  relieved  them  of  the  scurvy.  They  crawled  to  a  neigh- 
boring stream  and  caught  fish.  Strengthened  by  this  healthful  food,  and 
free  from  the  danger  of  alcoholic  stimulants,  they  soon  were  able  to  kill 
birds  and  animals.  They  now  proceeded  to  fit  the  smaller  vessel  for  the 
homeward  voyage,  and  actually  accomplished  the  feat,  arriving  in  Nor- 
way on  the  25th  of  September. 

COLONIZATION  VOYAGES. 


Among  the  voyages  of 
colonization   of  this  period, 
none   is    more    noteworthy 
than    that   of    the    "  May- 
flower," which  arrived  at  Cape  Cod, 
with   the  "Pilgrim"  colonists  Nov. 

LANDING  OF  THE  MAYFLOWER.  21,      l62O.  There        Wd'C        forty-OHC 

adult  males  besides  women  and  children,  and  formed  the  nucleus  of  the 


94 


NEWFOUNDLAND  COLONIZED. 


New  England  settlements.  These  first  arrivals  were  a  branch  of  the 
Puritans,  and  had  sought  refuge  in  Holland  from  the  persecutions  to 
which  they  were  subjected  in  England.  Not  finding  their  associations 
and  surroundings  congenial  in  Holland,  they  conceived  the  idea  of  set- 
tling in  America.  They  obtained  a  grant  from  the  southern  branch  of 
the  English  colonization  company,  known  as  the  London  or  Virginia 
Company,  but  happened  to  land  on  the  domain  of  the  northern  or 
Plymouth  Company. 

In  1621  a  colony  was  established  in  Newfoundland  by  Lord  Balti- 
more. Several  other  colonization  voyages  to  various  points  along  the 
Atlantic  coast  of  America  were  inaugurated  under  English,  French  and 
Dutch  auspices,  in  the  time  which  intervened  between  the  northern 
exploring  voyage  of  Jens  Munk,  the  Dane,  and  the  next  one  of  the 
same  sort  which  merits  our  attention.  Some  of  these  were  to  found 
new  settlements,  and  some  to  strengthen  those  already  established;  but 
all  'are  alike  foreign  to  the  scope  of  our  work,  and  though  full  of 
interest,  must  be  omitted. 


CHAPTER    X. 

VOYAGES  OF  FOX  AND     JAMES ENTERPRISE    OF    BRISTOL    MERCHANTS 

— MARVELOUS    ESCAPE    FROM    ICEBERGS REACH    OPEN    WATER — 

LAND     ON     CHARLTON     ISLAND THE     SHIP     SUNK BUILDING     A 

BOAT SUFFERING     AND      DEATH — THE      BOAT     LAUNCHED POEM 

OF  JAMES THE    RETURN    VOYAGE. 

In  1631  Captain  Luke  Fox  was  given  command  of  one  of  the 
king's  ships,  to  search  for  a  Northwest  Passage.  On  taking  leave,  the 
king  furnished  him  with  a  chart  exhibiting  all  his  predecessors'  discov- 
eries, a  letter  of  instructions,  and  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  Emperor 
of  Japan.  Fox  says  "  he  had  been  itching  after  northern  discovery  ever 
since  1606,  when  he  wished  to  have  gone  as  mate  to  John  Knight."  In 
his  account  of  his  voyage,  he  warns  "the  gentle  reader  not  to  expect 
here  any  flourishing  phrases  or  eloquent  terms ;  for  this  child  of  mine, 
begot  in  the  northwest's  cold  clime,  where  they  breed  no  scholars,  is 
not  able  to  digest  the  sweet  milk  of  rhetoric." 

In  Hudson's  Strait,  Fox  was  much  hampered  with  ice,  and  yet  the 
masses  he  met  were  "  seldom  bigger  than  a  church."  At  Salisbury 
Island,  in  Hudson's  Strait,  63°,  27',  he  observed  that  the  needle  became 
sluggish,  which  he  ascribed  to  "  the  sharpness  of  the  air  interposed 
between  the  needle  and  the  attractive  point."  He  gave  the  name,  Sir 
Thomas  Roe's  Welcome,  to  an  island  on  the  northwest  coast  of  Hud- 
son's Bay,  but  the  channel  dividing  Southampton  Island  from  the  main- 
land is  now  known  by  that  name.  It  has  not  yet  been  definitely  ascer- 
tained whether  Southampton  is  one  or  many  islands.  On  the  island 
discovered  by  Fox  was  found  a  burying-ground  of  the  natives ;  and  it 
was  ascertained  that  they  had  deposited  with  the  dead,  bows,  arrows  and 
darts,  many  of  them  with  iron  heads,  and  one  with  copper.  At  Nelson's 

River  he  found  the  cross  erected  by  Sir  Thomas  Button.     It  was  in 

95 


96  BOAT  DESTROYED  IN  THE  ICE. 

this  neighborhood  that  he  met  Captain  James'  vessel  on  the  2pth  of 
August,  which  he  visited  with  a  few  of  his  men.  He  seems  to  have 
sailed  directly  homeward  after  that  interview,  for  he  arrived  in  Eng- 
land on  the  last  day  of  October,  "  not  having  lost  one  man  or  boy,  nor 
any  manner  of  tackling,  having  been  forth  nearly  six  months;  all 
glory  be  to  God."  At  Roe's  Welcome  he  had  observed  the  tide  set 
in  from  the  north,  and  this,  together  with  the  great  number  of  whales 
met  there,  led  him  to  think  he  was  near  the  Northwest  Passage,  or 
entrance  to  the  South  Sea.  He  contributed  to  keep  up  the  theory  that 
in  Hudson's  Bay  would  be  found  the  coveted  route  to  Japan. 

Bylot  and  Baffin  had  pronounced  against  it,  but  they  had  also  de- 
clared against  Baffin's  Bay,  and  public  opinion  in  England  was  divided, 
but  with  a  preference  for  the  former.  It  certainly  opened  far  to  the 
south  and  west,  which  was  as  certainly  the  direction  in  which  lay  the 
South  Sea.  What  is  more  natural  then  than  to  connect  the  two  in  im- 
agination, and  infer  their  connection  in  fact? 

Not  to  be  outdone  by  the  London  merchants,  who  supplied  Fox's 
outfit,  those  of  Bristol  furnished  a  similar  expedition  on  the  same  errand, 
in  the  hope  of  winning  the  glory  of  the  coveted  discovery  for  the  good 
city  of  Bristol,  from  which  the  Cabots  had  sailed  five  generations  before. 
Their  ship  was  intrusted  to  Captain  Thomas  James,  who  was  kindly 
furnished  by  the  king  with  a  duplicate  of  the  documents  given  to  Fox. 

James  selected  a  crew  of  twenty-two  picked  men  for  his  vessel  of 
seventy  tons,  or  twice  as  many  as  were  absolutely  necessary.  They 
were  all  active,  sober  young  men,  and  unmarried,  and  had  been  chosen 
from  a  body  of  seamen  who  had  never  made  a  voyage  to  those  regions. 
They  left  Milford  on  the  xyth  of  May  and  sighted  Greenland  on  the 
4th  of  June.  One  of  the  boats  was  ripped  by  the  ice,  but  soon 
repaired,  the  ship  being  carefully  provided  with  all  things  necessary  to 
meet  such  accidents,  as  well  as  with  a  supply  of  provisions  for  eighteen 
months.  This  was  largely  due  to  the  wise  forethought  of  the  com- 
mander. Around  icebergs  and  through  ice  floes,  with  sails  and  cord- 
age frozen,  they  threaded  their  weary  way  to  Resolution  Island,  which 
they  reached  on  the  i8th.  For  five  days  they  hung  between  life 


DISCOVERT  OF  JAMES  BAT.  97 

and  death,  engaged  in  an  incessant  struggle  to  keep  the  ship  from 
being  crushed  by  the  icebergs,  which  sometimes  overhung  her  deck 
and  grated  her  sides.  In  gratitude  for  their  escape  from  destruc- 
tion they  named  the  place  the  "  Harbor  of  God's  Providence."  Cap- 
tain James,  with  great  exertion  and  at  great  risk,  found  a  sheltered 
cove  at  6i?24',to  which  they  now  succeeded  in  working  the  boat. 

The  rise  of  a  favorable  wind  on  the  next  day  induced  them  to  leave 
'  this  secure  refuge  and  renew  the  battle  with  the  ice  floes.  Not  an 
acre  of  open  sea  could  be  discerned  from  the  masthead,  and  the  ice- 
pack crunched  against  the  sides  of  the  ship  with  such  violence  that 
they  feared  it  would  tear  away  the  planks  and  break  her  to  pieces. 
It  was  the  6th  of  August  before  they  got  into  the  open  sea,  and  on 
the  nth  they  saw  land  on  the  western  shore  of  Hudson's  Bay,  in 
latitude  59°  40'.  On  the  22d,  while  at  anchor,  the  ship  was  driven 
by  a  gale,  but  fortunately  the  anchor  again  caught,  while  the  sudden 
shock  nearly  proved  fatal  to  several  of  the  crew.  Eight  of  them  were 
hurled  from  the  capstan,  and  all  were  more  or  less  injured.  One,  the 
gunner's  mate,  had  his  leg  so  crushed  that  it  became  necessary  to 
amputate  it. 

After  the  visit  from  Captain  Fox,  whom  they  entertained  on  board 
as  well  as  circumstances  would  permit,  on  the  29th  of  August,  some- 
where in  the  vicinity  of  Nelson  River,  they  continued  to  explore  the 
southern  coast,  moving  eastward.  On  the  3d  of  September  they 
sighted  the  cape  at  the  entrance  of  the  bay  which  has  been  called  James' 
Bay  in  honor  of  the  navigator.  This  headland  James  named  Cape  Hen- 
rietta, in  honor  of  the  Queen  of  England.  Proceeding  south,  he  next 
discovered  an  island,  in  latitude  52°  45',  which  he  named  Lord  Weston's 
Island;  and  in  52°  10',  one  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  his  patron, 
Sir  Thomas  Roe.  James  had  some  hope  of  finding  a  passage  to  the 
"  River  of  Canada,"  the  St.  Lawrence,  from  the  foot  of  the  bay.  They 
landed  on  several  small  islands  in  search  of  an  eligible  spot  for  winter 
quarters,  as  it  was  growing  late  in  the  season  and  their  ship  had  received 
some  injury  in  its  battles  with  the  ice,  rocks,  and  shoals.  On  the  2d 

of  October,  four  months  after  they  had   sighted    Greenland,  a  landing 

7 


98  SCUTTLING  THE  SHIP. 

was  effected  on  a  well-wooded  coast  which  they  first  named  for  the  Earl 
of  Derby,  but  this  name  they  afterward  changed,  for  some  unexplained 
reason,  to  Charlton  Island.  From  its  highlands  they  could  see  nothing 
more  suitable  to  the  south,  the  bottom  of  the  bay  being  studded  with 
rocks  and  shoals. 

They  now  cut  a  large  quantity  of  wood,  enough  at  least  for  three 
months'  fuel,  and  at  the  request  of  the  sick,  erected  a  hut  on  the  island. 
They  explored  the  island  carefully,  among  other  objects  to  ascertain  if 
there  were  any  savages.  They  found  traces  of  them,  but  none  were  then 
on  the  island.  A  party  of  six  proceeded  into  the  interior  on  a  hunting 
expedition,  Oct.  14,  and  returned  the  next  day  with  one  deer, 
which  they  had  brought  twelve  miles.  They  reported  having  seen 
some  others.  A  few  days  later  another  party  set  out  to  explore  the  island, 
and  returned  unsuccessful  and  disabled  by  the  cold.  They  lost  one  man 
who,  in  crossing  a  pond,  broke  through  the  ice  and  was  drawn  under. 
They  dug  a  well  near  the  hut,  obtaining  drinkable  water  but  of  a  pe- 
culiar taste.  On  the  I2th  of  November  the  hut  took  fire,  but  they  were 
able  to  save  it.  Thenceforth  they  kept  up  a  regular  fire-watch ;  for  as 
they  required  great  fires  to  protect  them  from  the  cold  it  was  necessary 
to  use  every  precaution  to  prevent  the  disaster  of  being  burned  out.  On 
the  22d  died  one  of  their  number  who  had  lost  a  leg  at  the  time  the 
eight  had  been  hurled  from  the  capstan. 

Not  finding  a  sheltered  spot  for  the  vessel,  she  lay  at  anchor  off  the 
island,  exposed  to  the  ice,  and  on  the  24th  she  was  driven  by  the  pressure 
toward  the  shore  and  stopped  a  mile  from  the  land  in  twelve  feet  of 
water.  Finally,  on  the  29th,  after  the  ship  had  been  forced  close  to 
the  shore  by  the  wind  and  ice,  they  scuttled  and  sunk  her.  They  saved 
most  of  the  provisions,  but  lost  their  clothes  and  the  medicine  chest. 
The  seventeen  that  had  remained  now  joined  the  sick  in  the  hut,  and 
thawed  themselves  out  by  a  rousing  fire.  The  captain  encouraged  them 
to  hope  for  the  best,  reminding  them  that  if  the  worst  came  they  were 
as  near  to  heaven  there  as  in  England.  They  pledged  themselves  to  be 
faithful  to  one  another,  to  do  their  utmost  for  the  common  welfare,  and 
obey  their  commander  to  the  death.  Should  the  ship  prove  irrecovera- 


BUILDING  A  BOAT.  99 

ble  or  unseaworthy  in  the  spring,  they  would  build  a  boat  from  the  tim- 
bers and  the  wood  on  the  island,  and  try  to  return  to  the  haunts  of  civil- 
ized  men,  if  not  to  England,  by  that  means. 

On  the  loth  of  December  the  carpenter  began  to  work  on  the  new 
boat.  The  crew  were  busily  engaged  from  the  first  to  the  twenty-first 
of  the  month,  rescuing  goods  from  the  hold  of  the  vessel,  and  taking 
them  to  the  shore  with  great  difficulty.  The  well  had  frozen,  but  they 
found  a  spring  of  water  under  the  snow  at  a  short  distance,  which  served 
them  better.  They  constructed  three  more  huts,  one  of  which  was  to 
serve  as  a  kitchen.  The  snow  covered  their  houses,  adding  to  the 
warmth,  and  they  celebrated  Christmas  as  joyfully  as  could  be  expected. 
Knowing  nothing  of  Gulf  Stream  or  isothermal  lines,  they  were  at  a 
loss  to  understand  how  the  climate  could  be  so  much  more  severe  than 
in  the  corresponding  latitude  at  home.  They  were  about  on  a  line  with 
the  port  of  Harwich,  and  not  quite  one  degree  and  a  quarter  north  of  the 
latitude  of  London. 

By  the  end  of  January  the  ground  was  frozen  to  a  depth  of  .ten  feet; 
and  the  men  were  terribly  afflicted  by  disease,  accompanied  with  sores, 
pains  and  swellings  ;  fully  two-thirds  being  under  the  surgeon's  care. 
They  bore  up  manfully,  and  despite  their  privations  and  sufferings,  strug. 
gled  bravely  for  their  common  safety.  With  feet  frost-bitten  and  shoe- 
less, and  wrapped  in  rags  as  a  substitute,  they  walked  into  the  forest  to 
gather  their  daily  supply  of  wood.  And  so  they  fought  the  battle 
through  February,  with  the  special  discouragement  of  the  illness  of  the 
carpenter,  around  whom  chiefly  clustered  their  hopes  of  seeing  their 
native  land  again.  But  the  brave  carpenter  managed  to  make  some 
headway  with  his  boat  and  kept  at  work  even  when  so  ill  as  to  require 
to  be  carried  to  it.  He  supplied  models  of  the  timbers  he  wanted,  and 
the  men  searched  for  suitable  trees  through  the  forest,  cut  them  down, 
and  brought  them  to  him.  By  Easter,  April  ist,  he  was  entirely  dis- 
abled, with  four  others;  of  the  remainder  only  as  many  more  retained 
strength  and  appetite  to  consume  their  daily  allowance  of  food.  The 
well  waited  on  the  sick,  the  sick  did  what  service  they  could,  and  so  they 
continued  to  fight  the  good  fight,  and  do  their  duty  one  to  another. 


100 


THE  NEW  VESSEL  LAUNCHED.  101 

During  April  those  who  were  strongest  busied  themselves  with  ex- 
amining the  vessel,  trying  to  ascertain  if  she  was  seaworthy.  The 
new  boat  was  about  half  built,  but  the  carpenter  was  dying,  and  should 
both  fail  it  would  be  necessary  to  cross  to  the  mainland  on  the  ice,  before  it 
broke  up.  They  celebrated  the  last  night  of  April,  the  eve  of  May-day, 
with  the  observances  customary  in  those  days  in  England,  thus  trying  to 
keep  up  their  spirits  by  feigning  a  jollity  they  did  not  feel,  and  uncon- 
sciously recognizing  a  law  of  human  life  that  cheerfulness  promotes 
health.  The  master's  mate  died  on  the  sixth,  and  the  carpenter  on  the 
eighteenth  of  May,  reducing  their  number  to  eighteen  besides  the  cap- 
tain. Still  they  worked  at  the  ship,  and  to  their  industry  and  activity,  is 
probably  to  be  ascribed  the  survival  of  so  large  a  proportion  of  them. 
The  captain  seemed  born  to  lead  under  adverse  circumstances.  And  he 
was  ably  seconded  by  his  men.  The  dying  carpenter  kept  at  his  work 
till  the  last  moment,  and  left  the  boat  in  so  forward  a  state  that  the  men 
could  finish  it,  should  the  ship  be  found  unfit  for  use.  All  honor  to  the 
memory  of  William  Cole,  one  of  the  earliest  heroes  of  Arctic  exploration! 
On  the  22d  they  succeeded  in  pumping  the  ship  almost  dry,  and  on  the 
24th  the  ice  broke  all  along  the  bay  with  a  tremendous  noise.  With 
their  habitual  foresight  they  cleared  a  spot  for  vegetables  a  month  earlier, 
and  these,  together  with  some  wild  vetches,  were  given  to  the  sick,  who 
were  much  benefited  thereby. 

By  the  8th  of  June  they  had  pumped  the  ship  entirely  dry,  and 
she  floated  in  the  dock  she  had  excavated  by  her  own  weight  in  the 
sand.  On  the  nth  they  were  enabled  to  hang  the  rudder,  which  had 
been  lost  months  before  in  the  storm,  and  which  they  had  hunted  for 
with  great  labor  under  the  ice,  and  rescued  three  weeks  before.  On  the 
1 6th  they  got  the  vessel  into  deep  water,  and  on  the  I9th  they  saw  a 
considerable  expanse  of  open  sea,  and  towed  their  vessel  to  where  they 
had  originally  anchored  her,  about  a  mile  from  the  shore.  They  now 
got  the  ballast  which  they  had  previously  thrown  overboard,  and  placed 
it  and  the  provisions  again  on  board.  June  21  Capt.  James  erected  a 
cross  on  which  he  inscribed  the  names  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  Eng- 
land, with  the  added  title  of  Sovereigns  of  Newfoundland,  and  of  "these 


102  POEM  OF  JAMBS. 

territories  to  New  Albion,"  still  under  the  impression  that  they  were 
near  California  and  the  South  Sea.  On  the  2^th  he  built  a  fire  on  the 
island  in  the  hope  of  attracting  the  natives,  if  there  were  any  on  the 
island,  and  had  difficulty  in  escaping  unharmed.  The  fire  spread  rapidly 
and  burn,ed  the  houses  they  had  constructed,  but  they  had  fortunately 
removed  everything  of  value  in  advance.  By  the  last  of  the  month  they 
had  their  ship  full  rigged  and  everything  in  order,  not  forgetting  their 
dead  comrades,  over  whose  graves  they  raised  memorial  cairns.  The 
body  of  the  one  buried  at  sea  had  been  thrown  up  meanwhile,  and  was 
interred  with  the  others.  July  the  first  the  captain  made  a  record  of 
what  had  transpired  and  of  his  future  intentions,  and  left  it  at  the  cross 
he  had  erected.  They  paid  a  final  visit  to  the  tombs  of  their  dead, 
where  morning  and  evening  prayers  were  read,  and  the  last  meals  on 
land  were  prepared  and  eaten.  The  captain,  with  characteristic  good 
feeling,  composed  the  following  lines : 

I  were  unkind,  unless  that  I  did  shed 

Before  I  part,  some  tears  upon  our  dead ; 

And  when  my  eyes  be  dry,  I  will  not  cease 

In  heart  to  pray  their  bones  may  rest  in  peace. 

Their  better  parts,  good  souls,  I  know  were  given 

With  the  intent  that  they  return  to  Heaven. 

Their  lives  they  spent  to  the  last  drop  of  blood, 

Seeking  God's  glory  and  their  country's  good; 

And  as  a  valiant  soldier  rather  dies 

Than  yield  his  courage  to  his  enemies, 

And  stops  their  way  with  his  hew'd  flesh,  when  death 

Hath  quite  deprived  him  of  his  strength  and  breath ; 

So  have  they  spent  themselves,  and  here  they  lie, 

A  famous  mark  of  our  discovery. 

We  that  survive,  perchance  may  end  our  days 

In  some  employment  meriting  no  praise ; 

They  have  outlived  this  fear,  and  their  brave  ends 

Will  ever  be  an  honor  to  their  friends. 

Why  drop  you  so,  mine  eyes?     Nay,  rather  pour 

My  sad  departure  in  a  solemn  shower. 

The  winter's  cold  that  lately  froze  our  blood, 


DANGER  FROM  STORM.  108 

Now,  were  it  so  extreme,  might  do  this  good, 

As  make  these  tears  bright  pearls,  wnich  I  would  lay 

Tomb'd  safely  with  you,  till  doom's  fatal  day ; 

That  in  this  solitary  place,  where  none 

Will  ever  come  to  breathe  a  sigh  or  groan, 

Some  remnant  might  be  extant  of  the  true 

And  faithful  love  I  ever  tender'd  you. 

Oh !  rest  in  peace,  dear  friends,  and — let  it  be 

No  pride  to  say — the  sometime  part  of  me ! 

What  pain  and  anguish  doth  afflict  the  head,     ^ 

The  heart  and  stomach,  when  the  limbs  are  dead? 

So  grieved  I  kiss  your  graves,  and  vow  to  die        » 

A  foster-father  to  your  memory ! 

.  \ 

They  now  set  sail  on  the  return  voyage,  but  were  driven  about  by 
wind  and  icebergs  in  James'  Bay  during  the  whole  month,  for  though* 
they  passed  Cape  Henrietta  on  the  22d,  they  were  again  driven  within 
it  on  the  3Oth.  On  the  eighth  of  August  they  had  reached  latitude  55° 
34',  or  about  where  they  had  parted  from  Captain  Fox,  twelve  months 
lacking  three  weeks,  before — a  weary  year!  And  they  were  still  in  as 
great  danger  as  ever,  for  the  ship  leaked  so  badly  that  they  became 
apprehensive  that  they  must,  after  all  their  labors,  abandon  her.  Nor 
were  they  yet  free  of  their  persistent  enemy,  the  ice,  from  which  they 
might  be  said  to  have  been  never  free  for  fourteen  months.  Finally,  on 
the  i  yth,  they  got  clear  of  the  ice,  and  on  the  22d  they  were  in  58°  20', 
and  two  days  later  in  63°  30',  about  the  entrance  of  Hudson's  Bay. 
But  lest  they  might  be  tempted  to  relax  their  efforts — in  which  and  the 
energy  to  put  them  forth  had  lain  their  salvation  from  the  first — a  fierce 
storm  arose  on  the  2^th,  so  that  they  could  neither  eat  nor  sleep  for 
twenty-four  hours.  To  add  to  their  discomfort  and  danger,  it  brought 
the  ice  again  upon  them.  Upon  consultation  with  his  men,  Capt. 
James  now  concluded  to  turn  homeward.  The  strain  had  been  too  long 
continued  to  warrant  any  further  efforts  at  exploration  in  new  directions. 
The  year  had  been  exceptionally  unfavorable,  and  they  had  already 
entered  on  the  i6th  month  of  absence.  They  were  in  latitude  65°  30', 
when  this  resolution  was  taken,  and  still  among  icebergs  which  over- 


104 


ARRIVE  AT  BRISTOL. 


topped  the  mast-head.  In  a  week  they  reached  Resolution  Island,  at 
the  mouth  of  Hudson's  Strait,  and  it  was  not  until  Oct.  22,  1632,  that 
they  reached  Bristol,  harassed  to  the  very  last  by  adverse  winds,  after 
an  absence  of  seventeen  months  and  five  days,  or  very  nearly  the  period 
for  which  Capt.  James  had  provided  stores  and  supplies  in  advance. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

AN     INTERVAL     BETWEEN      ARCTIC     VOYAGES WINTERING     IN     THE 

ARCTIC     REGION DEATH    OF    MAYEN OTHER    DUTCH    VOYAGES 

CAPTAIN      RAVEN      LOSES     HIS     SHIP BRUTALITY     OF     A     DUTCH 

CAPTAIN WHICH    IS    THE    WAY    TO    INDIA? 

A  long  interval  in  Arctic  voyages  of  exploration  now  ensued.  The 
labors  of  Captains  Fox  and  James  had  increased  the  probability  that  the 
Northwest  Passage  should-  be  sought  elsewhere.  The  one  had  failed  to 
find  it  in  the  extreme  north,  the  other  in  the  extreme  south,  and  they 
and  their  predecessors,  in  the  west  of  Hudson's  Bay.  And,  as  we  have 
seen,  Baffin's  Bay  had  been  declared  against  by  its  discoverers.  Public 
opinion  ceased  to  be  occupied  with  the  question,  and  in  England  it  was 
very  earnestly  engaged  in  discussing  the  great  religious  and  political 
questions  of  the  day.  The  persecution  of  the  Puritans,  the  beheading  of 
Charles  I.,  the  rise  and  fall  of  Cromwell,  the  restoration  of  Charles  II., 
the  revolution  and  expulsion  of  James  II.,  with  the  turmoil  and  confusion 
and  pre-occupation  incidental  to  these  various  changes,  left  little  leisure 
for  outside  enterprises.  "  The  tight  little  island"  itself  supplied  an  ample 
field  for  the  enterprise  and  daring  of  her  most  adventurous  sons.  It  is 
only  in  times  of  peace  that  man  occupies  himself  with  discovery,  or 
makes  any  important  advance  in  the  arts  of  life.  The  art  of  war  is  a 
deadly  art,  and  all  its  tendencies  are  to  destruction.  It  may  sometimes 
be  necessary,  but  even  then  is  only  a  choice  of  evils. 

In  France,  "  the  wars  of  the  Fronde,"  the  struggles  of  the  parlia- 
ment and  of  the  nobility  against  the  encroachments  of  the  crown,  the 
burdens  of  taxation  and  administration,  and  later  on  the  military  erup- 
tions of  the  "  great  monarch,"  with  the  attendant  glory,  produced  the 
same  results  as  in  England,  in  relation  to  voyages  of  exploration. 
Meanwhile,  the  "Thirty  Years'  War,"  1618-48,  had  embroiled  all 

105 


IOC  FROZEN   UP. 

Europe.  And  so  the  remainder  of  the  seventeenth  century,  stormy 
enough  on  land,  was  marked  by  a  complete  lull  in  maritime  exploration. 
Such  voyages  as  were  undertaken  to  America  had  colonization,  not  dis- 
coverv,  for  their  object;  and  in  them  were  engaged  some  of  the  most 
enterprising  spirits  among  the  English,  French  and  Dutch  of  that  age. 
But  commerce,  besides  supplying  the  wants  of  the  belligerent  hosts  con- 
tending on  almost  every  battlefield  of  Europe,  was  not  unmindful  of  the 
peculiar  riches  of  Arctic  seas.  Accordingly  we  find  that  Dutch  and 
English  whaling  voyages  continued  uninterruptedly,  and  from  among 
them  a  few  have  been  selected  as  most  noteworthy  for  the  stirring  ad- 
ventures, hairbreadth  escapes  and  tragic  endings  which  characterized 
them.  Through  such  experiences,  in  great  measure,  has  been  slowly 
and  painfully  gathered  a  knowledge  of  the  methods  and  precautions 
necessary  to  the  preservation  of  human  life  in  those  northern  latitudes. 

WINTERING  IN  THE  ARCTIC. 

The  Dutch  had  offered  prizes  to  such  as  would  volunteer  to  spend 
a  winter  on  Mayen  Island,  the  headquarters  of  the  whale  fishery.  This 
island  had  been  discovered  and  taken  possession  of  for  the  States  of  Hol- 
land, in  i6n,bythe  captain  of  one  of  their  whalers,  Jan  Mayen,  for 
whom  it  was  named.  In  the  summer  of  1633,  before  the  return  of  the 
whaling  fleet,  seven  men  volunteered  to  winter  there,  in  latitude  71°,  not 
quite  midway  from  Iceland  to  Spitzbergen.  Their  sojourn  began  with 
the  26th  of  August,  and  they  suffered  no  inconvenience  until  the  8th  of 
October,  when  a  fire  first  became  necessary  to  their  comfort.  After  that 
date  the  winter  approached  rapidly,  and  on  the  I9th  ice  began  to  form 
on  the  shore.  The  cold  and  ice  grew  in  severity  until  the  ipth  of  No- 
vember, when  the  sea  became  frozen  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
Afterward  the  weather  grew  mild  for  about  three  weeks,  but  on  the  8th 
of  December  the  cold  set  in  with  renewed  severity,  and  they  confined 
themselves  to  the  hut  for  nearly  four  months,  idle  and  inactive.  They 
had  lived  meanwhile,  on  salt  meat,  and  had  killed  but  few  bears,  and 
their  supply  of  beer  and  brandy  was,  perhaps,  too  liberal  for  their 
welfare. 


DEATH" FROM  SCURVT.  107 

About  the  middle  of  January  they  succeeded  in  killing  a  single 
bear,  the  flesh  of  which  afforded  a  healthful  change  in  their  diet  It  was 
the  middle  of  March  before  they  killed  another;  but  scurvy  had  set  in 
and  taken  such  hold  by  that  time  that  the  relief  derived  was  only  pallia- 
tive, not  preventive  nor  curative.  On  the  3d  of  April  only  two  of  the 
seven  could  stand  erect;  and  on  the  i6th  one  of  them  died.  This  entry 
was  made  on  the  record  a  few  days  later:  "  We  are  now  reduced  to  so 
sad  a  state  that  none  of  my  comrades  can  help  themselves,  and  the 
whole  burden,  therefore,  lies  on  my  shoulders.  I  shall  perform  my  duty 
as  long  as  I  am  able,  and  it  pleases  God  to  give  me  strength.  I  am 
now  about  to  assist  our  commander  out  of  his  cabin;  he  thinks  it  will 
relieve  his  pain ;  he  is  struggling  with  death.  The  night  is  dark,  and  the 
wind  blows  from  the  south."  On  the  23d  he  died;  and  on  the  26th  they 
killed  their  dog,  a  poor  substitute  for  bear's  meat.  On  the  28th  the  ice 
left  the  bay,  and  on  the  3Oth  the  sun  shone  brilliantly.  But  it  was  yet 
thirty-five  days  before  the  whaling  fleet  appeared,  and  when  at  last  it  had 
arrived  none  of  the  seven  were  found  alive,  and  the  record  of  April 
3Oth  was  the  last  made.  A  little  of  the  energy  and  forethought  of  Capt. 
James  and  his  crew  in  James'  Bay,  two  years  before,  would  have  saved 
them  all,  for  though  they  were  almost  twenty  degrees  farther  north,  the 
winter  was  comparatively  mild,  and  the  genial  breath  of  spring  visited 
them  earl)''.  It  is  now  understood  that  the  chief  danger  from  Arctic 
winters  does  not  arise  from  the  high  latitude,  but  from  the  neglect  of 
proper  precautions.  This  principle  is  enforced  by  the  result  of  a  similar 
experiment  farther  north,  the  same  year. 

Seven  other  Dutchmen  had  volunteered  to  winter  in  North  Bay  on 
the  north  coast  of  Spitzbergen,  latitude  80?,  and  began  their  trial  four 
days*  later  than  those  on  Mayen  Island.  No  sooner  had  the  fleet  left 
than  they  set  to  work  to  collect  fresh  provisions  to  last  them  until  the 
return  of  the  fleet  in  1634.  They  hunted  the  reindeer  and  caught  wild 
fowls,  and  gathered  herbs.  They  killed  whales  and  narwals,  or  sea- 
unicorns,  and  thus  secured  both  food  and  exercise.  When  the  sea  began 
to  freeze  in  October,  they  broke  through  the  ice  and  let  down  their  nets 
to  catch  fish.  And  when  toward  the  close  of  October  the  cold  had  be- 


108  CONTINUED  HARDSHIPS. 

come  so  intense  and  the  ice  so  thick  that  they  could  no  longer  fish  or 
even  go  abroad,  they  exercised  themselves  as  actively  as  they  could  in- 
doors. And  so  they  passed  through  the  winter  without  a  death,  or 
even  serious  illness;  and  on  May  27,  1634,  only  eight  days  earlier  than  the 
arrival  of  the  fleet  at  Mayen  Island,  they  were  taken  aboard  safe  and 
sound,  after  a  sojourn  of  nine  months,  lacking  five  days,  in  latitude  80°. 
If  further  illustration  of  the  principle  referred  to  be  desired,  it  may 
be  obtained  from  the  annals  of  the  same  people.  Before  the  fleet  re- 
turned to  Holland  in  1634,  seven  other  men  were  left  at  North  Bay  to 
renew  the  experiment.  They  were  supplied  with  an  abundance  of  salt 
provisions,  liquors  and  medicines, and  began  their  sojourn  on  the  nth  of 
September.  Either  because  they  were  of  the  indolent  disposition  of  the 
men  left  on  Mayen  Island,  or  because  of  the  eleven  days'  later  advent,  or 
possibly  because  the  denizens  of  the  forest,  anticipating  a  keener  winter, 
withdrew  earlier  to  their  winter  quarters,  they  failed  to  provide  a  store  of 
fresh  provisions.  They  soon  became  victims  of  the  scurvy,  which  they 
tried  to  guard  against  by  eating  separately,  and  avoiding  contact  with 
each  other,  foolishly  supposing  it  was  caught  by  infection  instead  of 
recognizing  that  its  fruitful  source  was  the  salt  provisions,  which  they 
had  not  the  energy  to  vary  with  the  fruits  of  the  chase.  On  Jan.  14 
one  died,  and  on  the  iyth  another,  and  soon  a  third  followed.  The 
surviving  four  busied  themselves  in  making  coffins  for  their  dead  com- 
rades— an  unprofitable  industry  which  showed  their  good  feeling,  but 
not  their  good  sense.  In  the  early  part  of  February  they  killed  a  single 
fox;  and  bears  prowled  around  for  whom  they  should  have  made  living 
coffins  in  their  stomachs.  On  the  22d  of  February  only  one  was  in  a 
condition  to  feed  the  fire;  and  on  the  date  of  the  last  record  made,  four 
days  later,  the  four  were  still  alive,  but  the  fire-tender  had  succumbed 
with  the  others.  "  We  cannot  long  survive,"  writes  the  penman, 
"without  food  or  firing;  we  are  unable  to  render  each  other  the  least 
assistance,  and  each  must  bear  his  own  burden."  On  the  arrival  of 
the  whalers  for  the  season  of  1635  they  were  dead,  not  one  having 
survived,  thus  completely  reversing  the  record  of  their  predecessors  on 
the  same  spot. 


BRUTALITY  OF  A  DUTCH  CAPTAIN.  109 

A  number  of  these  whaling  adventures  in  the  north  might  be  re- 
counted, and  we  will  briefly  mention  a  few.  In  1639  Capt.  Didier 
Albert  Raevn  lost  his  ship  by  contact  with  an  iceberg  in  a  driving  snow- 
storm. Twenty  out  of  eighty-six  were  rescued  by  another  whaler  forty- 
eight  hours  later,  and  of  these  one  was  so  injured  by  the  exposure  that 
he  died  soon  after.  In  1646,  four  survivors  of  a  crew  of  forty-two 
Englishmen  were  rescued  from  the  ice  by  Capt.  John  Cornelius  Van 
Muniken,  after  they  had  been  exposed  for  fourteen  days.  They  had  dug 
a  deep  hole  in  the  ice  and  piled  blocks  of  ice  all  around  to  protect  them 
from  the  weather.  They  had  fortunately  saved  provisions  and  tools,  and 
the  time  of  year  was  not  unfavorable,  being  the  end  of  May  and  the 
beginning  of  June.  But  three  died  in  a  few  days  after  being  taken  on 
board,  so  that  only  one  was  finally  saved  to  return  to  England.  In  1670, 
Capt.  Lorenz  Pit,  with  thirty-six  men,  were  similarly  wrecked  by  the 
ice,  and  after  nearly  sixty  hours'  exposure,  were  all  saved.  In  1675  not 
less  than  fourteen  Dutch  whalers  are  known  to  have  been  lost  off  Spitz- 
bergen.  Capt.  Cornelius  Bille,  with  his  crew  of  thirty-four  men,  wefe 
saved  after  being  tossed  about  for  fourteen  days  in  an  open  boat,  some 
years  before.  This  year  his  ship  and  another,  being  in  company  close 
to  the  border  of  the  impenetrable  polar  ice,  were  crushed  by  a  sudden 
breaking  loose  of  the  icebergs. 

The  crews  managed  to  scramble  on  to  the  ice  before  the  vessels  were 
entirely  submerged,  and  they  saved  the  boats  and  some  provisions.  Capt. 
Bille,  with  a  few  of  the  more  enterprising  of  the  combined  crews,  sixty 
persons,  took  two  of  the  boats,  and  were  saved  by  other  whalers.  After 
ten  days  those  who  had  remained  concluded  Bille's  course  was  the 
wisest,  and  they  also  took  to  the  sea.  They  fell  in  with  a  French 
whaler,  and  were  humanely  taken  aboard.  Eight  of  them  not  wishing 
to  trespass  on  the  Frenchman's  generous  hospitality,  whom  they  found 
overcrowded,  rowed  off  to  a  Dutchman,  which  came  in  sight.  To  their 
dismay  the  brutal  captain  refused  to  give  them  shelter,  and  they  were 
compelled  to  take  refuge  on  the  ice.'  There  they  passed  sixty  hours  un- 
der the  shelter  of  a  sail,  within  sight  of  their  countrymen  whose  vessel 
was  at  anchor.  Owing  to  the  remonstrance  of  his  men,  or  dreading  that 


HO  THE  OLD  QUESTION. 

his  misconduct  might  be  reported  at  home,  the  surly  captain  relented  so 
far  as  to  permit  his  shipwrecked  countrymen  to  sleep  on  board.  A  few 
days  later,  while  on  the  ice,  he  weighed  anchor,  leaving  them  behind. 
They  pursued  in  their  boat,  and  were  at  last  taken  on  board  another 
vessel.  In  1676  a  fleet  of  Dutch  whalers  was  suddenly  caught  by  the 
ice  in  Vaigats  Strait  on  the  eve  of  their  return,  and  were  saved  by  the 
resolution  and  presence  of  mind  of  Capt.  Kees,  who  allayed  the  panic. 
After  a  detention  of  nineteen  days,  the  weather  grew  mild,  a  thaw  set  in, 
and  they  found  themselves  free  as  suddenly  as  they  were  previously  locked 
up.  Coolness  and  courage,  patience  and  energy,  a  keen  insight,  good 
judgment,  and  quick  execution,  together  with  abundance  of  fresh  whole- 
some food — which  the  canning  process  has  now  made  easy — are  the 
chief  requisites  to  success  in  Arctic  voyages.  But  the  examples  given 
also  show  that  while  these  precautions  reduce  the  risk  to  a  minimum 
there  is  always  great  danger,  which  only  the  best  trained  and  hardiest 
can  hope  to  cope  with  successfully.  Arctic  explorers  should  be  selected 
with  great  care;  and  no  unfit  volunteer  should  be  permitted  to  endanger 
the  lives  of  others  and  his  own. 

AGAIN,  WHICH  IS  THE  WAY  TO   INDIA? 

It  was  now  nearly  seventy  years  since  Hudson  had  pronounced 
against  the  availability  for  commercial  purposes  of  a  northeast  route  to 
China  and  India,  and  exactly  one  hundred  years  since  Frobisher  had 
tried  in  vain  to  accomplish  "  the  only  great  thing  left  undone  in  the 
world,"  a  Northwest  Passage  to  the  same  countries.  Many  attempts 
had  been  made  in  both  directions,  some  new  geographical  information 
had  been  gleaned  at  infinite  cost  and  labor,  but  the  problem  remained 
unsolved.  The  latest  trials  had  been  made  in  the  west,  and  there  too, 
they  were  resumed.  Baffled  and  disappointed,  but  not  entirely  cast  down, 
civilized  man  would  not  give  it  up  and  rest  content.  The  ocean  should 
yet  be  made  to  surrender  its  secrets  to  the  lord  of  creation.  This  was 
more  than  a  hundred  years  before  Byron  sang,  u  Man  marks  the  earth 
with  ruin;  his  control  stops  with  the  shore," — a  dictum  which  man  will 
not  accept.  Man's  control  of  the  sea  is  different,  but  it  is  also  very  real; 


THE  ENTERPRISE  OF  MARINERS. 


Ill 


and  as  many  lives  are  lost  to-day  on  land  as  on  sea,  in  proportion  to  the 
numbers  on  each.     The  mariners  of  England  prefer  to  sing  with  Thom- 


son, 


"  Britannia  rules  the  waves;" 


and  neither  they  nor  their  American  cousins  have  abandoned  the  hope  of 
searching  every  nook  and  corner  of  this  globe,  whether  on  land  or  sea. 
The  love  of  knowledge  and  of  commerce  still  drives  them  on.  Will 
they  succeed?  No  one  knows. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

NORTHWEST  VOYAGE  OF  GILLAM ALLEGED  DISCOVERY  OF  A  NORTH- 
WEST   PASSAGE  HUDSON'S    BAY    COMPANY    CHARTERED  A 

PILOT'S  STORY  OF  THE  NORTH  POLE — VOYAGE  OF  WOOD — WRECK 
OF  WOOD'S  SHIP — JAMES  KNIGHT REPORT  OF  INDIANS  CON- 
CERNING MINES. 

A  generation  had  passed  away  since  the  voyages  of  Fox  and  James, 
and  Hudson  Bay  had  begun  to  pass  into  oblivion,  as  no  other  than  a 
dreary  and  dangerous  waste  of  water  in  the  midst  of  inhospitable  and 
uninhabited  lands,  when  in  1669  the  attention  of  England  was  again 
turned  to  it. 

The  fur  traders  of  New  France  had  penetrated  through  the  forests  of 
Canada  in  every  direction  in  pursuit  of  that  very  profitable  branch  of 
commerce.  One  of  these  enterprising  adventurers,  Grosselier,  reached 
the  shore  of  Hudson's  Bay.  Believing  he  had  made  an  important  orig- 
inal discovery,  he  returned  to  France  to  lay  it  at  the  feet  of  his  sovereign. 
But  the  grand  monarque — Louis  XIV. — was  more  concerned  about  ex- 
tending his  home  dominion  to  the  Rhine  than  his  transatlantic  domains  to 
the  Hudson  Bay  or  elsewhere.  So  Grosselier's  story  fell  on  deaf  ears, 
until  it  reached  those  of  the  English  ambassador,  who  encouraged  him 
to  try  the  Court  of  St.  James,  and  gave  him  a  letter  to  Prince  Rupert, 
cousin  of  Charles  II.,  who  had  been  admiral  in  the  war  of  the  Restora- 
tion, and  a  few  years  later  against  the  Dutch.  He  was  favorably  re- 
ceived, and  intrusted  with  one  of  the  king's  ships,  for  the  purpose  of 
founding  a  colony  on  the  shore  of  Hudson's  Bay,  and  searching  for  the 
Northwest  Passage.  Henry  Oldenburg,  first  secretary  of  the  Royal 
Historical  Society,  established  in  1662,  and  correspondent  of  Milton  and 
Boyle,  thus  wrote  to  the  latter  in  relation  to  this  voyage : 

"  Surely  I  need  not  tell  you  from  hence  what  is  said  here  with  great 

112 


FORT  CHARLES.  118 

joy  of  the  discovery  of  a  Northwest  Passage  made  by  two  English  and 
one  Frenchman,  lately  represented  by  them  to  His  Majesty  at  Oxford,  and 
answered  by  the  royal  grant  of  a  vessel  to  sail  into  Hudson's  Bay  and 
thence  into  the  South  Sea;  these  men  affirming,  as  I  heard,  that  with  a 
boat  they  went  out  of  a  lake  in  Canada  into  a  river  which  discharged 
itself  northwest  into  the  South  Sea,  into  which  they  went  and  returned 
northeast  into  Hudson's  Bay." 

In  1 670  the  king  granted  a  liberal  patent,  or  charter,  to  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company,  which  consisted  of  his  cousin  Rupert,  and  a  few 
specified  associates.  The  company  was  actually  invested  with  absolute 
proprietorship  and  a  real  though  subordinate  sovereignty,  and  the 
exclusive  traffic  of  a  territory  of  unknown  extent,  loosely  described  as 
Rupert's  Land,  and  ordained  to  cover  all  that  had  been  discovered  or 
might  yet  be  discovered  within  the  entrance  to  Hudson's  Strait — a 
magnificent  grant,  truly ;  there  was  nothing  mean  about  Charles.  "  In 
consideration,"  says  he,  "  of  their  having  undertaken,  at  their  own  cost 
and  charges,  an  expedition  to  Hudson's  Bay  for  the  discovery  of  a  new 
passage  into  the  South  Sea,  and  for  the  finding  of  some  trade  in  furs, 
minerals  and  other  commodities,  whereby  great  advantage  might  prob- 
ably arise  to  the  king  and  his  dominions,  His  Majesty,  for  better  pro- 
moting their  endeavors  for  the  good  of  his  people,  was  pleased  to  confer 
on  them  exclusively  all  the  lands  and  territories  in  Hudson's  Bay, 
together  with  all  the  trade  thereof,  and  all  others  which  they  should 
acquire,"  etc. 

Though  discovery  was  one  of  the  primary  objects  of  this  princely 
endowment,  Capt.  Zachariah  Gillam,  who  was  placed  in  command  of 
the  expedition,  seems  to  have  added  but  little  to  the  geographical  knowl- 
edge of  the  regions  of  Hudson's  Bay.  He  wintered  at  the  mouth  of 
what  he  named  Rupert's  River,  in  honor  of  his  patron,  and  built  a  small 
stone  fort  at  its  mouth,  which  he  named  Fort  Charles,  in  honor,  of  the 
king.  This  was  the  first  English  settlement  in  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany's territory ;  and  for  about  a  century  they  confined  themselves  to  the 
coast,  and  are  not  known  to  have  made  a  single  effort  at  additional  dis- 
covery. The  indisposition  of  monopolists  to  diminish  their  dividends  by 
8 


114  STORT  OF  A   GREENLAND  PILOT. 

unprofitable  expenditures,  accounts  for  the  omission.  In  1770  they 
explored  the  basin  of  the  Coppermine,  and  toward  the  close  of  the  cen- 
tury, that  of  the  Mackenzie.  In  the  first  half  of  the  present  century 
they  patronized  two  or  three  overland  expeditions,  all  of  which  will 
receive  attention  in  due  time.  In  1869  the  company  was  finally  bought 
out  by  the  British  government  for  $1,500,000,  and  its  territory  formally 
incorporated  with  the  Dominion  of  Canada  in  1870,  on  payment  of  the 
same  amount. 

Capt.  Gillam  spent  a  more  tolerable  winter,  owing  probably  to  its 
being  a  milder  season,  than  his  predecessor,  James,  had  done  on  Charl- 
ton  Island,  in  nearly  the  same  latitude,  and  returned  to  England  with- 
out having  received  any  clue  from  his  supercargo,  Grosselier,  or  any 
one  else. 

THE  NORTHEAST  VOYAGE  OF  WOOD. 

Turn  we  now  to  the  eastward  to  see  what  the  navigators  were  able 
to  achieve  in  that  direction.  Joseph  Moxon  (1627-1700)  hydrographer 
to  Charles  II.,  and  manufacturer  of  globes  and  maps,  as  well  as  writer 
on  mathematics  and  navigation,  and  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society, 
theorized  about  the  Northeast  Passage  to  China  until  he  satisfied  him- 
self and  some  others  that  it  was  feasible,  and  a  new  interest  was  awak- 
ened. He  adduced  many  arguments,  mainly  from  his  inner  conscious- 
ness, as  was  the  custom  in  those  days,  and  not  to  any  large  extent  from 
demonstrable  facts,  which  is  the  modern  and  scientific  method.  He 
added  the  following  story,  which  doubtless  proved  convincing,  but  it 
lacks  one  element  of  persuasion  with  even  the  most  incredulous — truth. 
He  relates  that  the  pilot  of  a  Greenlander,  or  whaler  in  Greenland  seas, 
declared  to  him  that  he  sailed  to  the  North  Pole,  and  continues  thus: 

"  Whereupon,  his  relation  being  novel  to  me,  I  entered  into  dis- 
course with  him,  and  seemed  to  question  the  truth  of  what  he  said ;  but 
he  did  assure  me  that  it  was  true,  and  that  the  ship  was  then  at  Amster- 
dam, and  many  of  the  men  belonging  to  her  could  justify  the  truth  of 
it;  and  told  me,  moreover,  that  they  had  sailed  two  degrees  beyond  the 
Pole.  I  asked  him  if  they  found  no  land  or  islands  about  the  Pole.  He 


CAPTAIN  JOHN   WOOD.  115 

replied,  *No;  it  was  a  free,  open  sea.'  I  asked  him  if  they  did  not  meet 
with  a  great  deal  of  ice.  He  said,  'No;  they  saw  no  ice.'  I  asked  him 
what  weather  they  had  there.  He  told  me  'Fine,  warm  weather,  such  as 
was  at  Amsterdam  in  the  summer  time,  and  as  hot.'"  There  could  no 
longer  be  any  doubt.  The  hardy  pilot  growing  bolder  as  he  progressed, 
and  finding  a  student  simpleton  for  an  interlocutor,  did  not  hesitate  to 
draw  freely  on  "  his  imagination  for  his  facts."  Had  Moxon  kept  up 
his  interrogatory,  he  might  have  learned  that  the  fish  jumped  into  the 
"  ship  which  was  then  at  Amsterdam,"  ready  cooked  and  eager  to  be 
eaten,  and  that  in  each  one  when  opened  was  found  a  pearl  as  large  as 
a  hen's  egg. 

Among  the  others  who  were  carried  away  by  the  "arguments"  of 
Moxon,  was  Capt.  John  Wood.  He  had  acquired  experience  and  dis- 
tinction under  Admiral  Marlborough  against  the  Dutch  and  Barbary 
corsairs.  In  1675  he  drew  up  a  memorial  to  the  king,  tinged  with  san- 
guine expectations  of  surmounting  all  difficulties.  In  this  he  presented 
the  argument  based  on  the  configuration  of  the  earth,  and  modestly  sug- 
gested that  his  predecessors  may  have  missed  the  proper  passage.  He 
constructed  a  map  to  accompany  the  memorial,  and  presented  both  to 
the  king  and  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  the  future  James  II.  He 
showed  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  himself  that  Japan  could  be  reached 
in  a  few  weeks,  and  that  a  voyage  to  the  Indian  or  Malay  Archipelago 
would  be  easier,  safer  and  shorter  by  this  route.  Prominent  merchants 
and  navigators  were  consulted  by  the  king,  but  the  delusion  had  seized 
them  as  well  as  Moxon  and  Wood.  It  was  in  the  air,  like  many  pop- 
ular but  foolish  enterprises  before  and  since.  The  "  Speedwell,"  one  .of 
the  king's  ships,  was  placed  at  his  disposal,  and  fitted  out  in  the  royal 
dockyards  at  Deptford,  at  the  king's  expense.  She  was  supplied  with 
all  the  best  appliances  of  the  period,  and  furnished  with  a  crew  of  sixty- 
eight  men.  The  Duke  of  York  and  seven  associates  fitted  out  at  their 
expense  a  smaller  vessel  of  no  tons,  named  the  "Prosperous,"  to  accom- 
pany the  "  Speedwell."  She  was  manned  by  eighteen  men.  Both 
were  victualed  for  sixteen  months,  and  loaded  with  such  merchandise 
as  was  thought  likely  to  find  a  ready  market  in  Japan.  Capt.  Flames 


116  WRECK  OF   WOOD'S  SHIP. 

took  command  of  the  "Prosperous";  and  it  was  agreed  between  the 
commanders  that  they  should  direct  their  course  between  Nova  Zembla 
and  Spitzbergen.  "  My  idea  was,"  says  Wood,  "  to  follow  exactly  the 
track  of  Barentz,  and  proceed  due  northeast  after  reaching  the  North 
Cape,  in  order  to  get  between  Greenland."  Spitzbergen  was  then  sup- 
posed to  be  a  part  of  Greenland. 

May  28,  1676,  the  vessels  left  the  Nore,  and  on  the  2d  of  June  took 
refuge  from  a  northwest  gale  in  Brassa  Sound  in  the  Shetlands.  On  the 
tenth  they  weighed  anchor,  and  on  the  22d  had  rounded  North  Cape, 
whence  they  sailed  northeast  and  immediately  encountered  the  ice  in 
latitude  76  ° .  For  five  days  they  skirted  this  great  mass  of  ice  vainly 
seeking  an  opening.  Wood  concluded  it  was  one  vast  ice  continent 
stretching  from  Nova  Zembla  to  "Greenland,"  and  that  Barentz  and 
others  were  mistaken  in  the  opinion  that  there  was  land  to  the  north  of 
80°.  On  the  29th  of  June  he  changed  his  course  to  the  west,  abandon- 
ing his  cherished  theories.  They  had  proceeded  but  a  little  way  when 
the  "Speedwell"  struck  upon  some  hidden  rocks,  the  extension  of 
which,  in  sarcastic  contrast  with  the  name  of  his  ship,  he  named  Point 
Speedill,  in  74°  30',  the  most  western  promontory  of  Nova  Zembla. 
The  ship  lay  beating  on  the  rocks  for  several  hours,  the  crew  laboring 
in  vain  to  save  her.  The  weather  clearing  a  little,  they  were  amazed  to 
find  land  right  under  their  stern.  A  boat  was  sent  to  ascertain  if  a  land- 
ing could  be  effected,  but  it  returned  unsuccessful.  The  fog  lifting  more 
completely,  the  captain  descried  a  clear  stretch  of  beach,  which  the  long 
boat  with  twenty  men  was  enabled  to  reach.  The  boat  returned.  Some 
provisions  and  supplies  were  now  put  aboard  the  small  boat,  but  she 
was  upset,  and  her  cargo,  including  the  captain's  papers  and  money, 
and  one  of  the  crew,  were  lost.  Another  seaman  was  left  aboard  so  ill 
that  he  could  not  be  removed.  All  the  others  were  taken  ashore  by 
the  long  boat,  and  a  tent  was  erected  and  a  fire  built.  On  the  3Oth 
the  ship  began  to  go  to  pieces  and  much  of  the  wreck  floated  to  the 
shore,  supplying  them  with  material  for  huts  and  firewood.  The  next 
two  days  they  secured  some  provisions  that,  were  washed  ashore  from 
the  wreck.  Finally  on  the  eighth  their  more  fortunate  companion  who 


REPORTS  OF  A  COPPER  MINE.  117 

had  escaped  the  shoals  on  the  29th  of  June  and  gone  out  to  sea,  returned 
in  search  of  her  consort,  and  took  the  survivors  safely  on  board.  After 
this  great  misfortune  and  fortunate  deliverance,  Capt.  Wood  abandoned 
the  pursuit  of  the  success  of  which  he  had  been  so  sanguine  a  few  months 
before,  and  on  the  very  next  day  the  "Prosperous"  sailed  for  England, 
where  she  arrived  on  the  23d  of  August. 

KNIGHT,  BARLOW  AND  VAUGHAN. 

The  fate  of  Wood's  expedition  in  1676  very  naturally  dampened 
not  only  his  own  ardor  but  that  of  the  English  people  for  the  discovery 
of  the  Northeast  Passage;  and  indeed,  his  was  the  last  attempt  under 
English  auspices  in  that  direction.  The  burden  of  searching  for  the 
Northwest  Passage  had  been  officially  laid  on  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany in  their  charter  of  1670,  and  the  rest  of  England  was  virtually 
debarred  from  trespassing.  After  the  manner  of  monopolists,  the  com- 
pany seem  to  have  interpreted  their  charter  stringently  as  to  privileges, 
and  loosely  as  to  obligations.  In  1719  the  governor  of  their  trading 
colony  at  the  mouth  of  the  Nelson  River  was  James  Knight.  He  was 
almost  eighty  years  of  age,  or  old  enough  to  have  gone  out  with  their 
first  colony  in  1670.  He  was  now  at  least  at  the  head  of  affairs,  and  ap- 
parently had  been  in  those  regions  some  years.  He  had  learned  from 
the  natives  that  at  some  distance  to  the  north  and  on  the  bank  of  a  navi- 
gable river  was  to  be  found  a  rich  mine  of  copper.  This  information 
stimulated  him  to  undertake  a  voyage  of  discovery,  and  he  applied  to 
the  Company  for  the  use  of  two  ships  for  that  purpose.  Preferring 
the  diligent  prosecution  of  the  fur  trade,  they  declined ;  but  Knight,  who 
apparently  had  been  awakened  to  a  sense  of  duty  by  his  desire  to  find 
copper,  now  reminded  them  of  the  obligation  imposed  by  their  char- 
ter to  institute  voyages  of  discovery,  and  to  make  the  reminder 
effective,  threatened  an  appeal  to  the  king's  ministers. 

The  company  finally  yielded  to  Knight's  peculiar  powers  of  persua- 
sion, and  fitted  out  two  vessels  which  were  placed  at  his  disposal.  They 
were  called  the  "Albany"  and  "Discovery,"  and  were  respectively  under 
the  immediate  command  of  George  Barlow  and  David  Vaughan. 


118  LOSS  Of  KNIGHT  AND  PARTT. 

Knight,  with  his  captains  and  crews,  sailed  in  the  summer  or  autumn  of 
1719,  "by  God's  permission  to  find  out  the  Straits  of  Ainan,  in  order 
to  discover  gold  and  other  valuable  commodities  to  the  northward." 
Having  won  his  point,  Knight  seems  to  have  cared  as  little  about  the 
Northwest  Passage  as  his  employers.  The  ships  never  returned.  In 
1722  the  "Whalebone"  was  dispatched  under  Capt.  Scroggs  to  search 
for  Knight  and  his  companions.  They  sailed  from  Churchill  River,  in. 
Button's  Bay,  to  the  northward;  but  in  his  report  Scroggs  made  no 
mention  of  having  instituted  any  search  whatever  for  the  lost  naviga- 
tors or  for  the  Northwest  Passage.  But  he  brought  back  confirmation 
of  the  reports  about  copper.  He  "  had  seen  two  northern  Indians,  who 
told  him  of  a  rich  copper  mine  somewhere  in  that  country,  upon  the 
shore,  near  the  surface  of  the  earth;  and  they  could  direct  the  sloop  so 
near  as  to  lay  her  side  to  it  and  be  soon  loaded.  They  had  brought 
some  pieces  of  copper  to  Churchill  that  made  it  evident  that  there  was  a 
mine  thereabouts.  They  had  sketched  out  the  country  with  charcoal 
before  they  left  Churchill,  and  so  far  as  they  went,  it  agreed  very  well." 

Nothing  was  heard  of  Knight  or  his  comrades  until  the  overland 
exploring  expedition  of  Samuel  Hearne,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Hud- 
son Bay  Company,  in  1769,  just  "fifty  years  after  they  had  set  out. 
Hearne  gleaned  the  following  account  of  them  from  the  Esquimaux  of 
Marble  Island: 

"  When  the  vessels  arrived  at  this  place,  it  was  very  late  in  the  fall 
(of  1719),  and  in  getting  them  into  the' harbor,  the  largest  received 
much  damage;  but  on  being  fairly  in,  the  English  began  to.  build  a 
house,  their  number  at  that  time  seeming  to  be  about  fifty.  As  soon  as 
the  ice  permitted  in  the  following  summer  (1720),  the  Esquimaux  paid 
them  another  visit,  by.  which  time  the  number  of  the  English  was  very 
greatly  reduced,  and  those  that  were  living  seemed  very  unhealthy. 
According  to  the  account  given  by  the  Esquimaux,  they  were  very 
busily  employed,  but  about  what  they  could  not  easily  describe ;  proba- 
bly in  lengthening  the  long  boat,  for  at  a  little  distance  from  the  house 
there  was  now  (1769)  lying  a  great  quantity  of  oak  chips,  which  most 
assuredly  had  been  made  by  carpenters. 


LAST  SURVIVORS. 


119 


"A  sickness  and  famine  occasioned  such  havoc  among  the  English 
that  by  the  setting  in  of  the  second  winter,  1720,  some  of  the  Esqui- 
maux took  up  their  abode  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbor  to  that  on 
which  the  English  had  built  their  houses,  and  frequently  supplied  them 
with  such  provisions  as  they  had,  which  chiefly  consisted  of  whale's 
blubber,  and  seal's  flesh  and  train  oil.  When  the  spring  advanced,  the 
Esquimaux  went  to  the  continent;  and  on  their  Visiting  Marble  Island 
again,  in  the  summer  of  1721,  they  found  only  five  of  the  English  alive, 
and  those  were  in  such  distress  for  provisions  that  they  eagerly  ate  the 
seal's  flesh,  and  whale's  blubber  quite  raw  as  they  purchased  it  from 
the  natives.  This  disordered  them  so  much  that  three  of  them  died  in 
a  few  days ;  and  the  other  two,  though  so  very  weak,  made  a  shift  to 
bury  them.  Those  two  survived  many  days  after  the  rest,  and  fre- 
quently went  to  the  top  of  an  adjacent  rock,  and  earnestly  looked  to  the 
south  and  east,  as  if  in  expectation  of  some  vessels  coming  to  their 
relief.  After  continuing  there  a  considerable  time  together,  and  nothing 
appearing  in  sight,  they  sat  down  close  together  and  wept  bitterly.  At 
length  one  of  the  two  died,  and  the  other's  strength  was  so  far  exhausted 
that  he  fell  down  and  died  also,  in  attempting  to  dig  a  grave  for  his 
companion.  The  skulls  and  other  large  bones  of  these  two  men  are 
now  (1769)  lying  above  ground,  close  to  the  house.  The  longest  liver 
was,  according  to  the  Esquimaux'  account,  always  employed  in  working 
iron  into  implements  for  them;  probably  he  was  the  armorer  or  smith." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ARCTIC     VOYAGES     OF     THE     RUSSIANS  —  VOYAGE      OF      THE      COSSACK 

DESHNIEV CONQUEST    OF  KAMCHATKA ATTEMPTED    REDUCTION 

OF    THE    TCHUKTCHIS. 

The  solution  of  the  question  that  had  so  long  pressed  on  the  minds 
of  the  natives  of  Western  Europe  would  have  been  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance to  Russia,  if  that  state  had  been  in  a  condition  to  engage  in  the 
commerce  of  the  East.  But  the  Northeast  Passage  was  too  big  a  ques- 
tion, and  its  discovery  too  great  an  enterprise  for  the  feeble  Russia  of 
three  centuries  ago.  She  did  not  even  feel  an  interest  in  maritime  ex- 
peditions until  the  advent  of  Chancellor,  in  1554,  showed  her  a  way  to 
obtain  West  European  goods  without  having  to  receive  them  through 
her  rivals  and  enemies,  the  Poles.  Even  as  late  as  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century  nothing  was  known  of  the  Arctic  regions  of  Siberia 
east  of  the  Yenisei  River.  The  country  beyond  had  doubtless  been 
often  traversed  by  companies  of  Russians  analagous  to  what  the  French 
in  Canada  had  named  forest  couriers  or  wood  rangers,  that  is,  private  ad- 
venturers in  search  of  furs  and  game.  But  such  information  as  these 
were  able  to  glean  remained  scattered,  and  had  nev£r  been  collected  so  as 
to  be  made  available  to  the  public,  or  serve  the  interests  of  geography  or 
commerce. 

It  was  in  1646  that  the  first  Russian  voyage  of  exploration  in  the 
Arctic  was  made,  and  that  was  simply  a  coasting  voyage,  eastward  from 
Kolyma,  by  private  adventurers.  They  found  a  clear  channel  between 
the  land  and  the  ice,  which  was  firmly  grounded  on  the  shelving  coast, 
leaving  room  for  their  small  vessel  to  ply  along  under  sail.  After  sailing 
two  days  they  anchored  in  a  bay  and  became  acquainted  with  a  native 
tribe,  the  Tchuktchis  (Chookchees),  a  branch  of  the  Esquimaux  race. 

Neither  party  understood  the  language  of  the  other;  but  they  began  to 

120 


EXPEDITION  OF   THE   COSSACK  DESHNIEV.  121 

traffic  after  the  manner  described  by  Herodotus  in  relation  to  the  barba- 
rous tribes  of  Africa.  The  Russians  displayed  their  wares  upon  the 
strand,  and  withdrew;  the  Tchuktchis  took  what  they  wanted,  leaving 
sea-horse  teeth,  carved  and  whole,  in  exchange.  These  the  Russians 
gathered  up  and  returned  home. 

In  1648  seven  vessels  left  the  Kolyma,  under  the  command  of  Semoen 
Deshniev,  a  Cossack,  to  discover  the  river  Anadir.  Four  of  the  seven 
vessels  were  soon  lost,  but  one  or  more  of  the  others  went  through  what 
is  now  Behring's  Strait,  or  more  probably  were  hauled  across  the  pro- 
montory, for  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Anadir,  in  the  gulf  of  the 
same  name,  south  of  Behring  Strait,  on  the  Asiatic  side.  Deshniev's 
narrative  begins  with  the  great  cape  of  the  Tchuktchis,  which  is  sup- 
posed to  be  Cape  East  in  Behring  Strait.  "  It  is  situated, "  says  Desh- 
niev, "  between  the  north  and  northeast,  and  turns  circularly  toward  the 
river  Anadir.  Over  against  the  cape  are  two  islands,  upon  which  were 
seen  some  men  of  the  Tchuktchi  nation,  who  had  holes  pierced  in  their 
lips,  through  which  were  stuck  pieces  of  the  teeth  of  the  sea-horse  " — 
evidently  American  Esquimaux.  Two  of  the  three  remaining  vessels 
were  either  lost  in  making  the  voyage  or  left  behind  before  getting  to  the 
strait,  for  Deshniev  arrived  with  only  one,  and  this  was  wrecked  a  little 
south  of  the  liver's  mouth.  The  crew  of  his  vessel  consisted  of  twenty- 
five  men,  and  they  now  proceeded  to  return  overland.  They  wandered 
ten  weeks  through  a  woodless  and  uninhabited  country,  until  they  came 
to  a  river  on  the  banks  of  which  they  encountered  a  small  tribe  called 
Anauli,  whom  they,  notwithstanding  their  own  desolate  condition,  did 
not  hesitate  to  exterminate — a  piece  of  wanton  cruelty  which  very  de- 
servedly added  to  their  own  distress.  This  discovery  led  to  considerable 
traffic  with  the  barbarous  tribes  north  of  Kamchatka,  which,  however 
was  mostly  carried  on  through  the  interior. 

In  1696  these  Russian  or  Cossack  adventurers  penetrated  south  to  the 
Kamchatka  River,  plundering  the  native  villages  under  the  pretext  of  col- 
lecting tribute;  and  in  1697  Vladimir  Atlassov,  a  Cossack  officer,  un- 
dertook the  conquest  of  Kamchatka.  He  traveled  overland  from 
Irkoutsk  to  the  Anadir,  but  states  from  hearsay  or  observation  that  be- 


122 


CONQUEST  OF  KAMTKCHATKA.  133 

tween  the  Kolyma  and  Anadir  there  are  two  great  capes,  the  west  of 
which,  probably  what  is  called  Cape  North,  could  never  be  doubled  by 
any  vessel,  because  of  the  quantity  of  ice  that  lines  its  shores  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year.  The  Kamchadales  were  easily  conquered,  and  before  1706 
the  more  warlike  Tchuktchis  shared  the  same  fate.  The  former  are  de- 
scribed as  smaller  than  the  latter,  with  small  faces  but  great  beards. 
They  lived  underground  in  winter,  and  in  cabins  raised  from  the  ground 
on  posts,  in  summer.  These  cabins  were  reached  by  ladders.  They 
buried  their  meats  in  the  earth,  wrapped  in  leaves,  until  it  was  quite 
putrid.  For  cooking  it,  they  used  earthen  or  wooden  pots,  heating  the 
water  by  throwing  into  it  stones  which  they  had  made  red-hot.  "  Their 
cookery  smelt  so  strong, "  says  Atlassor,  "  that  a  Russian  could  not  sup- 
port the  odor  of  it.  " 

The  next  Russian  navigator  to  the  Arctics  was  Taras  Staduchin, 
who  left  the  Kolyma  a  few  years  later,  to  explore  the  Great  Cape  of  the 
Tchuktchis,  which,  however,  he  was  unable  to  reach  by  water.  Aban- 
doning his  vessel,  he  crossed  the  Isthmus  at  its  narrowest  point,  leaving 
the  land  to  the  north  and  east,  as  far  as  Behring  Strait,  unexplored. 
Russian  activity  was  now  mainly  directed  in  those  northeastern  regions, 
to  overland  military  expeditions  for  the  more  complete  subjugation  of 
the  rude  tribes  in  that  section  of  Siberia. 

In  1711  a  Russian  embassy  was  sent  to  the  Tchuktchis  to  demand 
hostages,  which  were  refused,  and  it  was  not  until  1718  that  they  for- 
mally made  their  submission  at  the  Russian  fort,  which  had  been  erected 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Anadir.  The  chief  of  the  embassy  of  1711,  Peter 
Sin  Topov,  a  Cossack,  gave  a  description  of  the  people,  their  American 
neighbors  and  the  country,  of  which  the  following  is  an  abstract : 

The  Tchuktchi  «  Nos  "  or  Cape,  is  destitute  of  trees.  On  the  shores 
near  the  Nos  were  found  sea-horse  teeth  in  great  numbers.  The 
Tchuktchi,  in  their  solemn  engagements,  invoked  the  sun  to  guarantee 
their  performances.  Some  among  them  had  flocks  of  tame  reindeer, 
which  obliged  them  often  to  change  their  place  of  residence;  but  those 
who  had  no  reindeer  inhabited  the  coasts  on  both  sides  of  the  Nos,  near 
banks  where  the  sea-horses  were  wont  to  come,  on  which  with  fish 


134  TCHUKTCHI  IDEA   OF  AMERICANS. 

they  mostly  subsisted.  They  had  habitations  hollowed  in  the  earth. 
Opposite  to  the  Nos,  they  said,  an  island  might  be  seen  at  a  great  dis- 
tance, which  they  called  the  Great  Country,  and  which  unquestionably 
meant  America.  The  inhabitants  of  that  land  pierced  holes  through 
their  cheeks,  in  which  they  inserted  large  ornaments  made  of  pieces  cut 
from  the  teeth  of  the  sea-horse.  These  people  had  a  different  language 
from  the  Tchuktchi,  with  whom  they  had  been  at  war  from  time  im- 
memorial. They  used  bows  and  arrows,  as  do  the  Tchuktchi.  Popov 
saw  ten  men  of  that  country,  with  their  cheeks  pierced  as  described,  who 
were  prisoners  with  the  Tchuktchi.  In  summer  they  could  reach  that 
land  in  one  day  in  their  boats  or  canoes,  which  are  made  of  whalebone, 
covered  with  sealskins ;  in  winter  also  in  one  day,  with  good  reindeer, 
and  no  obstruction  or  accident  to  their  sledges  or  teams.  At  the  Cape 
were  to  be  seen  no  wild  land  animals  but  wolves  and  red  foxes;  but  on 
the  other  land,  that  is,  in  America,  there  were  many  more,  as  sables, 
martens,  bears,  otters,  and  many  kinds  of  foxes;  and  the  inhabitants  had 
large  herds  of  tame  deer.  Popov  computed  both  classes  of  the  Tchuktchi 
at  over  2,000  adult  males,  and  the  Americans  from  what  he  learned,  at 
about  6,000.  The  Tchuktchi  reckoned  the  journey  from  the  Cape  to 
Anadir  at  ten  weeks  with  laden  reindeer,  provided  no  storm  of  wind  or 
snow  should  arise.  They  mentioned  also  a  smaller  island  about  halfway 
between  the  Cape  and  the  Great  Country — probably  St.  Lawrence  or 
Clark  Island — from  which  the  Great  Country  might  be  seen  on  a  clear 
day. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

VOYAGES  OF  BEHRING START  FOR  KAMCHATKA  RIVER DISCOVERY 

OF  BEHRING'S  STRAIT — REACH  LAND  ON  AMERICAN  SIDE  —  IN- 
VESTIGATIONS    OF     STELLER FRIGHT    OF     A     NATIVE     AT    THE 

TASTE    OF    BRANDY REDUCED    BY    SICKNESS BEHRING     BECOMES 

DISABLED  THE       SHIPS'       COMPANY       DIVIDED  A       STRANDED 

WHALE DEATH    OF    BEHRING. 

It  is  clear  that  the  Russians  were  in  a  fair  way  to  reach  America  by 
sea  or  land,  as  the  case  might  prove  to  be,  in  the  neighborhood  of  what 
soon  became  known  as  Behring  Strait.  Just  before  his  death  in  1725, 
the  greatest  of  the  Russian  monarchs,  Peter  the  Great,  occupied  himself 
with  the  details  of  an  Arctic  voyage  of  discovery,  the  chief  object  of 
which  was  to  ascertain  definitely  whether  or  not  America  and  Asia  were 
divided  by  water  at  the  extreme  north.  His  instructions  were  these: 

1.  That  one  or  two  ships  should  be  built  at  Kamchatka,  or  elsewhere 
on  the  Eastern  Ocean. 

2.  That  when  constructed  and  fitted  out  they  should  proceed  north- 
ward and  ascertain  if  there  was  a  waterway  between  the  continents. 

3.  To  ascertain  if  there  were  in  those  parts   any  harbors  or  trading- 
posts  belonging  to  Europeans. 

4.  That  another  expedition  should  proceed  from  Archangel   to   the 
Arctic  Sea,  and  move  eastward  to  meet,  if  practicable,  the  one  moving 
north  from  the  coast  of  Kamchatka. 

5.  To  keep  a  record  of  what  should  be  discovered,  which  was  to  be 
brought  by  the  commander  to  St.  Petersburg  at  the  close  of  the  voyage. 

The  expedition  from  Archangel  proved  unfruitful.  One  of  the  two 
ships  was  soon  hemmed  in  by  the  ice,  and  was  unable  to  advance.  The 
other  started  on  the  voyage  but  was  lost  among  the  ice,  and  was 

never  heard  of. 

125 


136  START  FOR  KAMTKCHATKA  RIVER. 

The  Eastern  expedition,  which  was  not  ready  until  1728,  was  put 
under  command  of  Vitus  Behring,  a  Dane  by  birth,  but  for  some  years 
in  the  service  of  Russia,  where  he  had  risen  to  the  rank  of  commodore. 
A  Russian,  Alexis  Tchirikov,  was  intrusted  with  the  command  of  one  of 
the  vessels.  Three  years  were  consumed  in  preparation.  Behring,  with 
his  officers,  crews  and  ship-builders,  proceeded  overland  to  Okhotsk, 
where  he  determined  to  build  one  of  the  vessels,  in  which  to  convey  the 
men  and  supplies  to  Kamchatka,  where  he  was  to  build  the  other. 

On  July  14,  1728,  everything  being  in  readiness  they  set  sail  from 
Kamchatka  River.  About  the  4th  of  August,  when  in  latitude  64°  30', 
eight  Tchuktchis  approached  in  one  of  their  leather  boats,  and  sent 
forward  one  of  their  number,  on  sealskins  filled  with  air,  to  demand  who 
they  were,  whither  they  were  going,  and  what  they  wanted.  They 
pointed  out  to  the  Russians  the  island  which  these  afterward  called  the 
Isle  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  which  has  since  been  named  Clark's  Island. 
Satisfying  his  questioners  that  his  designs  were  pacific,  Behring  proceeded 
on  his  voyage  and  reached'  67°  18'  without  obstruction,  whence  he 
rightly  inferred  that  the  continents  were  divided  by  water,  because  no 
land  was  visible  to  the  north  or  east.  He  had  sailed  through  the  strait 
which  was  afterward  called  after  his  name.  He  made  a  second  voyage 
in  1729,  in  the  same  waters,  but  without  obtaining  any  additional  infor- 
mation. He  does  not  seem  to  have  seen  the  coast  of  America  on  either 
voyage. 

In  1731  a  vessel  was  dispatched  under  Krupishev  from  Kamchatka 
River  to  co-operate  with  a  land  force  for  the  subjugation  of  the  Tchuk- 
tchis. A  gale  of  wind  forced  the  ship  from  the  point  of  land  where 
Behring's  voyage  had  terminated;  and  being  driven  east,  Krupishev 
found  an  island,  and  afterward  a  country  of  great  extent.  A  man  came 
aboard  from  the  shore  in  a  canoe,  whom  they  understood  to  say  that  he 
belonged  to  a  great  country  abounding  in  wild  animals  and  forests.  The 
Russians  coasted  it  for  two  days,  when  another  storm  coming  on,  they 
directed  their  course  homeward  to  Kamchatka.  This  voyage  left  no 
doubt  of  the  discovery  by  Behring  of  the  strait  dividing  the  continents. 
Himself  and  officers  received  many  distinctions,  and  several  exploring 


127 


128  BEHRING  REACHES  THE  CONTINENT. 

expeditions  were  projected.  As  before,  the  more  important  were  two : 
The  Western  was  from  Archangel  along  the  northern  coast  to  the  east- 
ward; but  this  and  many  successive  attempts  in  the  same  direction  failed, 
mainly  because  the  promontory  and  cape  called  Taimur,  extending  to  78° 
and  encompassed  by  an  immense  ice  barrier,  constituted  an  insurmount- 
able obstacle.  The  other,  which  was  intrusted  to  Behring,  was  the 
continuance  of  his  former  enterprise,  with  the  specific  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  distance  from  Kamchatka  to  America  in  the  same 
parallel. 

All  preparations  being  duly  made,  Behring  and  his  former  lieuten- 
ant, Tchirikov,  set  sail  in  the  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  from  Avatcha  Bay 
in  Kamchatka,  June  4,  1741.  Sixteen  days  later  the  St.  Paul,  under 
Captain  Tchirikov,  was  separated  from  the  Commodore's  vessel  in  a 
gale,  and  a  fog  arising  soon  after,  they  entirely  lost  sight  of  each  other 
for  the  whole  season.  July  the  i5th  Tchirikov  found  himself  near  the 
mainland  on  the  American  side,  in  latitude  55  °  36'.  He  cast  anchor 
and  sent  out  the  long  boat  with  orders  to  make  a  landing  where  they 
could  on  the  rock-bound  shore.  Several  days  having  elapsed  without 
their  return,  he  grew  alarmed  and  sent  his  other  boat  in  search.  But 
the  same  fate  doubtless  awaited  both — probably  destruction  by  the  na- 
tives. Neither  was  ever  heard  from,  and  Tchirikov  lost  seventeen  men 
and  both  his  boats.  Some  Americans  made  from  the  shore  in  their 
canoes  some  days  later  and  surveyed  the  ship  from  a  distance ;  but  they 
did  not  dare  approach  her.  Had  they  been  kindly  disposed  they  proba- 
bly would  not  have  held  aloof.  It  is  almost  certain  that  they  had  killed 
or  taken  captive  the  seventeen  Russians.  Tchirikov  now  held  a  council 
of  his  remaining  officers,  and  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  return.  The 
St.  Paul  was  headed  for  Kamchatka,  where  she  arrived  in  safety  early  in 
October.  Here  the  thoughtful  Tchirikov  made  preparations  for  the 
reception  of  Behring  and  his  crew,  should  disaster  overtake  them. 

Meanwhile  Behring's  ship  had  fallen  in  with  the  continent  in  lati- 
tude 58°  28',  on  the  1 8th  of  July.  The  prospect  was  grand,  but 
gloomy.  High  mountain  ranges,  ridge  beyond  ridge,  covered  with 
snow,  stretched  away  to  the  utmost  limit  of  vision.  Towering  over  all 


INVESTIGATIONS  OF  STELLER.  129 

15,000  feet  high,  rose  the  lofty  peak  which  George  William  Steller,  the 
German  naturalist  and  physician  of  the  expedition,  named  Mount  St. 
Elias,  by  which  it  is  still  known.  On  the  ipth  they  anchored  in  a  safe 
bay  near  the  small  island  of  Kaiak,  in  what  is  called  Behring  Bay,  about 
latitude  59°  45'.  The  capes  on  either  hand  they  named  St.  Elias  and 
Hermogenes. 

July  20  a  boat  was  sent  ashore  for  fresh  water,  and  Steller  with 
difficulty  obtained  permission  to  accompany  the  crew  with  his  Cossack 
attendant.  On  landing,  Steller  struck  boldly  into  the  interior,  and  at  the 
distance  of  a  mile  he  discovered  the  hollowed  trunk  of  a  tree,  in  which 
the  natives  had  but  a  few  hours  before  cooked  some  meat  with  red  hot 
stones,  after  the  manner  of  the  Kamchadales,  whence  he  inferred  that 
they  were  probably  of  the  same  stock,  and  that  the  two  continents  must 
necessarily  approach  each  other  to  the  north,  as  the  frail  canoes  of  the 
natives  were  not  fit  to  traverse  a  wide  expanse  of  water.  At  the  dis- 
tance of  another  mile  he  found  a  cache  or  cellar,  which  he  uncovered, 
and  found  full  of  smoked  fish,  and  a  few  bundles  of  the  inner  bark  of 
the  larch,  which  in  case  of  necessity  serves  as  food  throughout  all  Sibe- 
ria. There  were  also  some  arrows,  carefully  smoothed  and  dyed  black, 
which  were  superior  to  those  of  the  Kamchadales.  Steller  now  sent 
back  his  servant  to  obtain  an  extension  of  time  and  a  small  escort  to  con- 
tinue his  exploration.  In  his  absence  he  ascended  a  hill  and  saw  smoke 
rising  in  the  distance,  which  satisfied  him  that  some  natives  could  soon 
be  found.  But  Behring  was  inexorable  for  his  return,  and  Steller  could 
only  obey,  under  penalty  of  being  left  behind.  In  the  bitterness  of  his 
disappointment  he  was  excusable  for  giving  utterance  to  the  sarcasm 
that  the  Russians  traveled  a  great  way  at  great  expense  to  carry  a  little 
American  water  to  Asia.  Steller  took  away  samples  of  what  he  had 
found,  leaving  some  knives,  trinkets  and  tobacco  in  exchange. 

On  the  2  ist,  Behring,  who  had  hitherto  almost  constantly  kept  his 
cabin  through  illness,  appeared  on  deck,  gave  orders  to  weigh  anchor, 
and  return  as  directly  as  might  be  to  Kamchatka.  They  soon  found  that 
the  coast  trended  southwest,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that 
they  were  able  to  extricate  the  ship  from  the  labyrinth  of  islands  which 


130       NATIVES  FRIGHTENED  AT  THE  TASTE  OF  BRANDT. 

line  the  peninsula  of  Alaska.  Six  weeks  later,  on  the  3d  of  September, 
they  had  an  adventure  with  a  few  natives.  Seeing  nine  of  them  fishing 
on  an  island — probably  one  of  the  smaller  outlying  islands  of  the  Aleutian 
group — they  undertook  to  open  communication  with  them.  By  signs 
each  party  invited  the  other  to  approach ;  finally  three  Russians,  with  the 
Kariak  interpreter,  rowed  ashore,  but  the  North-Siberian  found  himself 
among  strangers  to  his  language,  and  could  render  no  assistance.  The 
Americans,  however,  seemed  to  like  their  Asiatic  brother,  evidently  rec- 
ognizing in  him  a  nearer  relationship  than  in  his  European  companions. 
The  leader  of  the  aborigines  was  invited  aboard  the  Russian  boat,  and  as 
a  token  of  confidence  complied.  The  hospitable  Russians  now  handed 
him  a  glass  of  brandy,  the  taste  of  which  so  appalled  the  unsophisticated 
native,  that  he  exhibited  the  greatest  alarm  and  an  evident  anxiety  to  be 
put  ashore  among  his  fellows.  This  was  done  in  all  haste;  and  the  Rus- 
sians dreading  the  spread  of  the  panic  among  his  companions,  rowed  for 
the  ship,  leaving  the  Kariak  among  his  new-found  friends.  He,  how- 
ever, set  up  such  a  lamentation  and  made  such  piteous  signs  not  to  be 
abandoned,  that  the  Russians  concluded  to  have  recourse  to  a  stratagem 
for  his  recovery.  They  fired  two  shots  in  the  air,  which,  reverberating 
from  the  hills,  so  affected  the  imaginations  of  the  astonished  natives,  that 
they  offered  no  hindrance  to  the  departure  of  the  interpreter,  who,  hasten- 
ing to  the  shore,  was  soon  aboard  the  vessel.  The  next  day  the  natives 
presented  themselves  in  their  canoes  at  the  side  of  the  vessel,  bearing  the 
olive  branch  of  peace,  that  is,  a  rod  ornamented  with  feathers,  and  heart- 
ily cheered  the  departing  strangers,  who  had  already  weighed  anchor, 
and  were  being  rapidly  borne  away  on  the  freshening  breeze. 

Toward  the  close  of  September,  they  encountered  one  of  those  fierce 
storms,  exceptional  even  in  northern  latitudes,  lasting  seventeen  days, 
and  surpassing  in  violence  anything  their  pilot  had  ever  seen.  He  had 
been  at  sea,  boy  and  man,  for  fifty  years,  and  of  all  the  storms  he  had 
witnessed,  this  was  the  worst ;  and  very  severe  it  proved  to  Behring  and 
his  crew.  They  were  driven  south  to  about  the  latitude  of  the  northern 
line  of  what  is  now  the  United  States,  exclusive  of  Alaska.  They  dis- 
cussed among  themselves  whether  to  seek  refuge  on  the  American  coast, 


THE  CREW  BECOME  DESPERATE.  181 

or  attempt  to  return  to  Kamchatka.  The  latter  course  was  determined  on. 
Meanwhile  scurvy  had  broken  out  among  the  men,  too  long  confined  to 
the  use  of  salt  provisions,  and  exposed  to  the  excessive  severity  of  the 
weather.  Almost  every  day  they  lost  one  of  the  crew  by  disease;  and 
hardly  enough  were  left  in  health  to  manage  the  vessel.  Behring 
himself  had  been  for  some  time  so  ill  as  to  take  no  active  part 
in  the  management  of  the  vessel.  The  helmsman  was  so  sick 
that  he  required  to  be  supported  to  his  post;  and  when  no  longer 
able  to  steer  he  was  relieved  by  one  nearly  as  weak  as  himself. 
So  that  during  the  month  of  October,  the  vessel  was  driven  along  almost 
entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  wind.  The  men  lost  courage  and  gave  them- 
selves up  to  despair.  The  nights  grew  longer,  but  the  more  imminent 
became  their  danger,  the  more  helpless  and  hopeless  became  the  crew. 
When  requested  to  do  their  duty,  they  were  scarcely  able  to  undertake  it, 
and  could  hardly  keep  their  legs.  They  pronounced  it  impossible  to 
save  the  ship  or  themselves;  and  severity  of  discipline  was  of  no  avail, for 
they  preferred  even  death  to  the  sufferings  they  endured.  The  officers 
of  the  ship  whom  the  necessities  of  perpetual  oversight  had  kept  busy 
and  active,  escaped  disease,  and  were  now  the  only  hope  of  salvation. 
They  urged  the  less  despairing  of  the  crew  to  furnish  such  assistance  as 
they  could,  and  thus  kept  the  ship  still  to  the  west  toward  Kamchatka. 

Finally  on  the  fourth  of  November,  in  about  latitude  55^,  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  land  hove  in  sight,  but  at  a  considerable  distance, 
for  they  could  only  see  the  snow-clad  mountains.  They  steered  for  the 
inhospitable  shore  all  day,  and  at  night  held  back  to  avoid  being  wrecked. 
On  the  morning  of  the  fifth,  a  great  wave  threw  the  ship  over  a  reef  and 
landed  her,  disabled,  in  smooth  water,  after  they  had  lost  two  anchors  in 
attempting  to  save  her  from  running  on  the  rocks.  They  now  put  out 
their  third  anchor,  and  the  shattered  ship  rode  at  ease  in  the  sheltered 
cove. 

A  few  of  those  who  were  most  able,  went  ashore  under  the  command 
of  Waxall,  on  whom  the  direction  of  the  ship  and  crew  had  devolved, 
on  Behring  becoming  entirely  disabled.  They  found  the  country  barren 
and  covered  with  snow;  but  had  the  good  fortune  to  discover  a  stream 


132  SEA   OTTERS  CAPTURED. 

of  excellent  water.  House,  hut,  or  shelter  of  any  kind,  could  not  be 
found,  except  sand  holes,  over  which  they  spread  some  sails  to  make  them 
habitable  for  the  sick.  On  the  eighth  some  were  landed,  and  on  the 
next  day  Behring  was  taken  ashore  and  provided  for  with  special  care 
in  one  of  the  excavated  sand  holes.  Six  days  later  all  were  provided  for 
on  land  as  well  as  circumstances  would  permit.  The  interior  of  the  land 
swarmed  with  blue  and  white  foxes,  which  were  so  bold  as  to  convince  the 
Russians  that  they  had  fallen  on  an  uninhabited  region.  Sea  otters  were 
also  seen,  which  proved  they  were  not  on  the  coast  of  Kamchatka,  from 
which  these  animals  had  disappeared.  Killing  some  of  these  they  found 
the  flesh  tough  and  unpalatable,  but  Steller,  the  physician,  urged  its  con- 
sumption, however  unpleasant,  as  an  antidote  to  the  scurvy ;  and  nearly 
all  the  crew,  except  those  who  were  sick  on  landing,  were  saved  from 
disease  by  his  persistence.  "  On  all  sides,"  says  Steller,  describing  the 
experiences  after  landing,  "  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  misery.  Before 
the  dead  could  be  buried,  they  were  mangled  by  the  foxes,  who  even 
ventured  to  approach  the  helpless  invalids  who  were  lying  without  cover 
on  the  beach.  Some  of  these  wretched  sufferers  complained  bitterly  of 
the  cold,  others  of  hunger  and  thirst — for  many  had  their  gums  so 
swollen  and  ulcerated  with  the  scurvy  as  to  be  unable  to  eat. 

"On  November  the  I3th,  I  went  out  hunting  for  the  first  time  with. 
Messieurs  Plenisner  and  Betge;  we  killed  four  sea  otters,  and  did  not 
return  before  night.  We  ate  their  flesh  thankfully,  and  prayed  to  God 
that  he  might  continue  to  provide  us  with  this  excellent  food.  The  costly 
skins,  on  the  other  hand,  were  of  no  value  in  our  eyes;  the  only  objects 
which  we  now  esteemed  were  knives,  needles,  thread,  ropes,  etc.,  on 
which  before  we  had  not  bestowed  a  thought.  We  all  saw  that  rank, 
science,  and  other  social  distinctions  were  of  no  avail,  and  could  not  in 
any  way  contribute  to  our  preservation;  we  therefore  resolved,  before 
we  were  forced  to  do  so  by  necessity,  to  set  to  work  at  once.  We  in- 
troduced among  us  five  a  community  of  goods,  and  regulated  our  house- 
keeping in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  be  in  want  before  the  winter  was 
over.  Our  three  Cossacks  were  obliged  to  obey  orders,  when  we  had 
decided  upon  something  in  common;  but  we  began  to  treat  them  with 


A  STRANDED    WHALE.  133 

greater  politeness,  calling  them  by  their  names  and  surnames,  and  we 
soon  found  that  Peter  Maximovitch  served  us  with  more  alacrity  than 
formerly  Petrucha  [Peterkin]. 

«  November  the  i4th  the  whole  ship's  company  was  formed  into 
three  parties.  The  one  had  to  convey  the  sick  and  provisions  from  the 
ship;  the  second  brought  wood;  the  third,  consisting  of  a  lame  sailor 
and  myself,  remained  at  home — the  former  busy  making  a  sledge,  while 
I  acted  as  cook.  As  our  party  was  the  first  to  organize  a  household,  I 
also  performed  the  duty  of  bringing  warm  soup  to  some  of  our  sick, 
until  they  had  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  help  themselves.  The 
barracks  being  this  day  ready  to  receive  the  sick,  man}'  of  them  were 
transported  under  roof;  but  for  want  of  room,  they  lay  everywhere  on 
the  ground,  covered  with  rags  and  clothes.  No  one  could  assist  the 
other,  and  nothing  was  heard  but  lamentations  and  curses — the  whole 
affording  so  wretched  a  sight,  as  to  make  even  the  strongest  heart  lose 
courage. 

"On  November  15th  all  the  sick  were  at  length  landed.  We  took 
one  of  them  named  Baris  Sand  into  our  hut,  and  by  God's  help  he  re- 
covered within  three  months.  The  following  days  added  to  our  misery, 
as  the  messengers  we  had  sent  out  brought  us  the  intelligence  that  we 
were  on  a  desert  island,  without  any  communication  with  Kamchatka. 
We  were  also  in  constant  fear  that  the  stormy  weather  might  drive  our 
ship  out  to  sea,  and  along  with  it  all  our  provisions,  and  every  hope  of 
ever  returning  to  our  homes.  Sometimes  it  was  impossible  to  get  to  the 
vessel  for  several  days  together,  so  boisterous  was  the  surge;  and  about 
ten  or  twelve  men,  who  had  hitherto  been  able  to  work,  now  also  fell 
ill.  Want,  nakedness,  frost,  rain,  illness,  impatience,  and  despair,  were 
our  daily  companions." 

Among  the  provisions  on  which  they  had  to  rely  in  emergencies 
was  a  dead  whale  thrown  on  the  coast  of  the  island  in  a  storm.  This 
with  grim  jocularity  they  called  their  magazine.  Behring  died  on  the 
9th  of  December,  exactly  four  weeks  after  being  landed.  It  Tnight 
almost  be  said  that  he  was  buried  alive.  In  the  sandpit  in  which  he  was 
housed  the  loose  sand  had  gradually  piled  up  around  him  until  he  was 


DEATH  OF  B  EH  RING.  135 

more  than  half  covered.  He  would  not  allow  it  to  be  removed,  but  kept 
gathering  it  up,  under  the  conviction  that  it  helped  to  keep  him  warm 
and  prolong  life.  When  he  died  it  became  necessary  to  unearth  him 
before  he  could  be  decently  buried.  He  was  respectfully  interred  on  the 
island  and  in  sight  of  the  sea,  which  were  thenceforth  to  bear  his  name. 
He  was  only  in  his  sixty-second  year,  and  might  have  survived  the  ship- 
wreck had  he  not  been  enfeebled  by  disease  arising  from  exposure  and 
the  want  of  fresh  provisions.  He  had  been  thirty-six  years  in  the  Rus- 
sian navy,  which  he  entered  in  1705.  In  1707  he  had  been  made  lieu- 
tenant, and  in  1710  captain.  His  last  expedition  failed  of  satisfactory  re- 
sults, no  doubt  through  his  long  continued  illness.  Beyond  his  prime  man 
lacks  that  vital  power  which  enables  him  to  withstand  the  hardships  of 
such  adventures.  Three  weeks  later  the  St.  Peter  was  wrecked  in  sight' 
of  the  survivors.  Her  cable  gave  way  in  a  violent  storm,  and  she  was 
driven  on  the  rocks.  There  was  no  longer  any  hope  of  using  her  on  the 
voyage  to  Kamchatka  in  the  spring,  and  to  add  to  their  misfortune  a  con- 
siderable part  of  their  provisions  were  spoiled  by  the  sea  water. 

In  March,  1742,  the  sea  otters  disappeared  from  those  waters.  They 
had  killed  900  of  them  and  saved  the  skins.  Of  these  about  300  eventu- 
ally came  into  the  possession  of  Steller,  by  barter  and  through  the  gener- 
osity of  the  sick,  who  felt  deeply  indebted  to  him  for  his  services  so  dis- 
interestedly rendered  in  their  hour  of  need.  Thirty  of  the  crew  died  on 
the  island;  but  nearly  all  had  been  sick  before  landing.  Forty-five 
survived.  Seals,  sea  lions  and  sea  horses  now  took  the  place  of  sea  otters 
on  the  coast  of  Behring's  Island,  and  their  flesh  was  much  more  palata- 
ble. A  walrus  weighing  800  pounds  was  found  sufficient  for  a  fort- 
night's consumption.  The  flesh  resembles  beef,  and  that  of  the  young  is 
as  tender  as  veal.  The  health  of  the  men  now  improved  rapidly,  and 
their  great  concern  was  to  grow  strong  enough  for  the  work  of  deliver- 
ance which  they  were  to  undertake  in  the  summer. 

Waxall  now  began  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  task  of  getting 
ready.  This  he  did  with  commendable  discretion.  A  virtual  democracy 
had  sprung  from  their  necessities,  and  one  had  as  good  right  to  his  opin- 
ion as  another.  Their  projects  for  escape  were  of  course  various,  but  they 


186  RETURN  TO  KAMTKCHATKA. 

were  gradually  induced  to  concur  in  Waxall's  design  of  breaking  up  the 
old  ship  and  constructing  a  new  but  smaller  one  from  her  timbers,  suffi- 
ciently large  to  convey  all  the  survivors  and  the  necessary  provisions  to 
Kamchatka. 

The  month  of  April  was  consumed  in  preparations;  and  on  the 
sixth  of  May  they  began  to  build  the  new  boat  or  ship.  By  the  first  of 
June  the  timbers  were  ready  for  the  planks.  She  was  forty  by  thir- 
teen feet;  had  but  one  mast,  and  one  deck. 

"  On  the  1 4th,  in  the  morning,"  says  Steller,  "  we  weighed 
anchor,  and  steered  out  of  the  bay.  The  weather  being  beautiful, 
and  the  wind  favorable,  we  were  all  in  good  spirits,  and  as  we 
sailed  along  the  island,  we  pointed  out  to  each  other  the  well- 
known  mountains  and  valleys  which  we  had  frequently  visited  in 
quest  of  game,  or  for  the  purpose  of  reconnoitering.  Toward  evening 
we  were  opposite  the  furthest  point  of  the  island,  and  on  the 
1 5th,  the  wind  '^pitinuing  favorable,  we  steered  direct  toward  the 
bay  of  Avatcha.  About  midnight,  however,  we  perceived  to  our  great 
dismay,  that  the  vessel  began  to  fill  with  water  from  an  unknown  leak, 
which  in  consequence  of  the  crowded  and  overloaded  state  of  the  vessel, 
it  was  extremely  difficult  to  find  out.  At  length,  after  the  lighten- 
ing of  the  ship,  the  carpenter  succeeded  in  stopping  the  leak,  and  thus 
we  were  once  more  saved  from  imminent  danger." 

On  the  25th  they  sighted  the  longed-for  Kamchatka,  entered  the  Bay 
of  Avatcha  on  the  26th,  and  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Petropaulovsky 
on  the  27th,  where  they  found  that  provision  had  been  kindly  made  for 
their  anticipated  wants  through  the  forethought  of  Capt.  Tchirikov. 

Russian  expeditions  to  Arctic  seas  now  fell  into  the  hands  of  merchants 
and  adventurers;  and  were  prosecuted  from  Archangel  as  whaling  voy- 
ages, and  in  the  east,  from  Petropaulovsky  and  Okhotsk,  as  ventures  in 
the  fur-trade,  in  which  they  built  up  a  profitable  commerce  with  China 
and  Japan. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SWAINE    STARTS    FROM    PHILADELPHIA EXPLORATION    OF    LABRADOR 

ARCTIC    EXPLORATION    BY  HEARNE INSTRUMENTS    DESTROYED 

BY  WIND MALTREATMENT    OF    ESQUIMAUX ARCTIC    VOYAGE   OF 

PHIPPS REACHES    SPITZBERGEN. 

In  the  spring  of  1754  Capt.  Charles  Swaine  left  the  port  of  Phila- 
delphia, in  Pennsylvania,  to  search  for  the  Northwest  Passage.  He  was 
in  command  of  the  schooner  Argo;  and  first  encountered  ice  off  Cape 
Farewell  in  June.  Leaving  the  eastern  ice  he  again  fell  in  with  the 
western  ice  in  latitude  58°,  and  cruised  to  the  northward  to  63  °  ,  to  clear 
it,  but  could  not;  it  then  extended  to  the  eastward.  jJleturning  south- 
ward he  met  two  Danish  vessels  hound  to  Ball  River  and  Disco  Island, 
up  Davis'  Strait,  which  had  been  in  the  ice  fourteen  days  off  Cape  Fare- 
well, and  had  then  stood  to  the  westward.  They  assured  Swaine  that 
the  ice  was  fast  to  the  shore  all  above  Hudson's  Strait  to  the  distance  of 
forty  leagues  out,  and  that  there  had  not  been  such  a  severe  winter  as  the 
last,  these  twenty-four  years  that  they  had  been  engaged  in  that  trade. 
They  were  then  nine  weeks  from  Copenhagen.  The  Argo,  finding  she 
could  not  get  around  the  ice,  pressed  through  it  and  got  to  the  mouth  of 
Hudson's  Strait  on  the  26th  of  June.  She  reached  Resolution  Island, 
but  was  forced  back  by  vast  quantities  of  driving  ice,  and  got  into  clear 
sea  on  July  ist.  Cruising  along  the  border  of  the  ice,  seeking  an  open- 
ing to  get  through  it,  she  met  on  the  I4th  four  vessels  of  Hudson  Bay 
endeavoring  to  get  in,  and  continued  with  them  till  the  191)1,  when  they 
parted  in  thick  weather,  in  latitude  62  °  30'.  The  thick  weather  lasted 
till  August  7.  The  Hudson's  Bay  men  before  they  were  separated 
from  the  Argo  computed  the  distance  to  the  western  coast  of  Hudson's 
Bay  at  forty  leagues. 

The  Argo  ran  down  the  ice  from  about  63°  to  57°  30',  and 

137 


138  SEARCH  FOR  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 

after  repeated  attempts  to  enter  the  Straits  relinquished  the  vain 
endeavor,  the  more  as  the  season  for  making  discovery  on  the  west- 
ern side  of  the  bay  would  be  over  before  they  could  hope  to  reach  it. 
Swaine  now  directed  his  vessel  to  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and  explored  it 
perfectly  to  latitude  54  °  .  He  found  no  less  than  six  inlets,  all  of  which 
he  thoroughly  explored,  making  an  excellent  chart  of  the  coast,  and  as- 
certaining all  he  could  of  the  soil,  produce,  and  people  of  Labrador.  He 
thought  it  much  like  Norway,  and  satisfied  himself  there  was  no  water- 
way across  it  to  Hudson's  Bay.  It  had  been  conjectured  that  such  a 
route  could  be  found,  but  Swaine' s  careful  survey  settled  that  point.  He 
found  there  was  a  high  mountain  range  which  traversed  the  land  from 
north  to  south,  about  fifty  leagues  inland.  In  one  of  these  harbors  they 
found  a  deserted  wooden  house  with  a  brick  chimney  which  they  judged 
had  been  built  by  Englishmen,  as  appeared  evident  from  sundry  relics 
left  behind.  Afterward  in  another  of  the  inlets  they  met  Captain  Goff  in 
a  bark  or  snow — so  called  from  the  Low-German  snau,  or  snout — from 
London.  He  informed  them  that  the  same  vessel  had  been  there  in 
1753,  and  had  landed  some  Moravian  brethren  who  had  built  the  house, 
intending  to  remain  there.  But  the  captain  and  six  of  his  men  had  been 
artfullv  coaxed  away  by  the  natives  under  pretence  of  traffic,  to  some  dis- 
tance in  their  boat,  and  unarmed.  After  waiting  their  return  for  sixteen 
days  in  vain,  the  remainder  concluded  to  sail  for  England,  accompanied 
by  the  Moravians,  who  were  necessary  to  work  the  vessel,  and  were  dis- 
couraged in  their  benevolent  undertaking  by  the  unexpected  treachery  of 
the  natives.  Part  of  GofFs  business  on  this  voyage,  he  said,  was  to  learn 
what  he  could  of  the  fate  of  these  men.  As  a  pleasant  addition  to 
Swaine' s  good  fortune,  who  seems  not  to  have  lost  a  man  or  any  part  of 
his  ship's  equipment,  he  discovered  a  fine  fishing-bank  about  twenty 
miles  offshore  and  stretching  57  °  to  54°  .  Vessel  and  crew  arrived  in 
safety  at  Philadelphia  about  the  middle  of  November. 

In  1772  the  brig  Diligence  was  dispatched  by  a  company  of  private 
gentlemen  of  Virginia  to  search  for  the  Northwest  Passage.  She  was 
placed  in  charge  of  Captain  Wilder,  who  followed  the  route  of  Swaine, 
but  succeeded  in  entering  Hudson's  Bay,  the  season  being  more  favora- 


EXPEDITION  OF  HEARNE.  139 

ble.  The  Diligence  plied  about  the  broad  expanse  of  the  great  bay,  es- 
pecially to  the  north  and  west,  which  were  now  the  accredited  points  of 
search  for  the  Northwest  Passage.  They  were  finally  driven  back  by 
the  ice,  and  retreated  through  Hudson's  Strait  to  Davis'  Strait,  which  they 
ascended  to  the  latitude  of  Disco  Island  in  69  °  1  1  '  ,  whence  they  returned 
to  Virginia. 

ARCTIC   EXPLORATION   BY  HEARNE. 


Samuel  Hearne  h^d  entered  the  English  navy  as  a  midshipman  in 
Captain  Hood's  vessel,  at  the  age  of  eleven.  At  the  close  of  the  French 
war  in  1763,  he  took  service  under  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  as 
quartermaster,  at.  Fort  Churchill.  In  1768  he  evinced  special  ability  in 
his  exploration  of  the  northern  coast  of  Hudson's  Bay,  and  the  improve- 
ment of  the  fisheries  in  that  quarter.  The  same  year  the  Indian  story 
of  copper  mines  to  the  north,  which  had  lured  Knight  to  destruction  in 
1719,  and  which  had  been  repeated  to  Captain  Scroggs  in  1722,  was  put 
beyond  all  question  by  some  rich  specimens  of  ore  brought  by  Indian 
traders  to  Fort  Churchill.  Hearne  was  now  sent  out  with  a  twofold 
commission,  to  search  for  the  Northwest  Passage  and  the  mines  of  cop- 
per. He  left  Fort  Churchill  November  6,  1769,  accompanied  by  two 
white  men  and  some  Indians.  When  he  had  proceeded  about  two 
hundred  miles  his  provisions  began  to  fail,  and  the  native  guides  deserted 
him,  when  he  was  obliged  to  return.  In  the  beginning  of  February, 
1770,  being  again  ready  to  start,  he  resumed  his  journey,  taking  with 
him  no  white  men  and  only  five  Indians.  He  had  found  that  the  natives 
ridiculed  his  two  white  companions  because  of  their  inability  to  endure 
the  hardships  of  the  trip  as  well  as  they  could.  Some  white  men  have 
been  known  to  pride  themselves  on  similar  qualifications.  When  they 
had  gone  about  five  hundred  miles  they  began  to  suffer  great  distress 
from  exposure  to  the  severity  of  the  weather,  and  the  scarcity  of 
provisions. 

"  It  was,"  says  Hearne,  "  either  all  feasting  or  all  famine  ;  some- 
times we  had  too  much;  seldom  just  enough;  frequently  too  little;  and 
often  none  at  all.  It  would  be  only  necessary  to  say  that  we  have  fasted, 


140  FIGHT  BETWEEN  ESQUIMAUX  AND  INDIANS. 

many  times,  two  whole  days  and  nights;  twice,  upward  of  three  days, 
and  once,near  seven  days,  during  which  we  tasted  not  a  mouthful  of  any- 
thing, except  a  few  cranberries,  water,  scraps  of  old  leather,  and  burnt 
bones."  Finally,  in  August,  he  arrived  among  a  tribe  of  friendly  In- 
dians, in  latitude  63°  10'  and  longitude  io°4o'  west  from  Fort  Churchill, 
where  he  proposed  to  winter.  One  day  a  gust  of  wind  upset  his  quad- 
rant, breaking  it  to  pieces,  and  the  brave  explorer  picked  up  his  effects 
and  started  back  to  the  English  settlement,  notwithstanding  all  the  priva- 
tion he  had  undergone  on  the  way  out.  Equipped  once  more  at  Fort 
Churchill,  he  set  out  on  the  yth  of  December,  accompanied  among  the 
rest  by  an  intelligent  Indian  named  Motaunabi.  They  proceeded  this 
time  in  a  less  northerly  direction,  and  in  latitude  60°.  After  having  trav- 
eled about  600  miles,  they  came  to  a  lake;  here  they  built  a  canoe,  and 
pushed  northward,  by  a  chain  of  lakes  and  streams,  until,  on  the  I3th  of 
July,  1771,  they  struck  the  Coppermine  River,  which  he  descended  to 
its  mouth  in  the  Arctic  Ocean,  or  rather  in  Coronation  Gulf,  one  of  its 
inlets,  in  latitude  68°  30'.  Meanwhile,  Hearne's  band  of  Indians  had 
been  increased  by  the  accession  of  some  tramps  of  the  forest,  friendly  to 
each  other,  but  all  hostile  to  the  Esquimaux.  Seeing  a  small  encampment 
of  their  detested  enemies  on  the  bank  of  the  great  river,  they  attacked 
them,  on  the  iyth  of  July.  "  Finding  all  the  Esquimaux  quiet  in  their 
tents,"  says  Hearne,  "  they  rushed  forth  from  their  ambuscade,  and  fell 
on  the  poor,  unsuspecting  creatures,  unperceived  till  close  to  the  eaves  of 
their  tents,  when  they  soon  began  the  bloody  massacre,  while  I  stood 
neuter  in  the  rear."  They  spared  neither  age  nor  sex,  and  of  the  twenty 
or  more  inmates  of  the  hut,  but  few  escaped.  An  old  woman  whom 
they  found  peacefully  fishing  was  tortured  by  having  her  eyes  plucked 
out  before  she  received  her  death  blow.  A  young  girl  sought  the  pro- 
tection of  Hearne,  which  he  was  powerless  to  give;  and  the  miscreants, 
soon  after  their  horrid  work  of  slaughter,  «  sat  down,"  says  Hearne,  "  and 
made  a  good  meal  of  fresh  salmon,"  the  fruits,  perhaps,  of  the  old 
woman's  industry.  The  "Arctic  Ocean,"  as  described  by  Hearne,  was 
full  of  islands  and  shoals,  as  far  as  he  could  discern  with  a  good  telescope. 
On  the  30th  of  June,  1772,  after  an  absence  of  one  year  and  seven 


ENLARGEMENT  OF  THE  ENGLISH  NAVT.  141 

months,  lacking  one  week,  Hearne  arrived  in  safety  at  Fort  Churchill,  of 
which  he  was  made  governor,  in  1775.  On  its  capture  by  a  French 
squadron,  .under  Perouse,  in  1782,  he  returned  to  England,  where  he 
died  ten  years  later,  in  his  forty-eighth  year.  His  "  Voyage  to  the  Cop- 
permine River,"  was  published  in  1795. 

ARCTIC  VOYAGE  OF  PH1PPS. 

Since  the  loss  of  Knight  in  1719,  there  had  been  by  common  con- 
sent a  virtual  abandonment  of  voyages  of  exploration  in  the  Northwest. 
At  intervals  some  slight  revival  of  interest  arose,  but  only  to  be  damp- 
ened by  repeated  failures.  In  1 742  Captain  Middleton  discovered  Wa- 
ger "  River "  or  Bay,  opening  westward  from  Rowe's  Welcome,  and 
for  a  time  he  must  have  fancied  he  had  made  the  great  discovery,  but  it 
was  soon  found  to  be  a  land-locked  inlet  into  an  uninhabited  wilderness. 
A  few  years  later,  in  1746,-  Moore  and  Smith,  after  a  fruitless  search  in 
the  same  direction,  pronounced  the  quest  of  "  a  Northwest  Passage  as 
chimerical  as  Don  Quixote's  projects."  But  now  the  successes  of 
Captain  Cook  and  the  growing  power  of  England  gave  a  fresh 
impetus  to  voyages  of  discovei'y  on  a  scale  commensurate  with  her 
greatness.  It  has  not  escaped  the  notice  of  our  reader  how  insig- 
nificant and  paltry  were  the  outfits  of  the  early  English  navigators. 
He  has  also  doubtless  divined  the  reason.  While  under  more  arbitrary 
governments  such  enterprises  were  usually  controlled  by  the  state,  and 
inaugurated  with  the  eclat  and  fullness  of  equipment  which  are  wont  to 
characterize  government  ventures,  in  England  they  were  almost  entirely 
in  the  hands  of  private  merchants.  Occasionally  the  use  of  one  of  the 
King's  ships  was  obtained,  but  even  then  the  equipment  was  supplied  by 
private  persons.  This  was  in  accordance  with  the  genius  of  free  institu- 
tions and  constitutional  liberty ;  and  the  Englishman  felt  more  pride  in 
the  growth  of  freedom  than  in  big  ships.  The  necessities  of  war  had 
just  brought  the  crown  a  navy  worthy  of  the  riame,  and  the  succeeding 
epoch  of  peace  left  it  at  the  disposal  of  the  ministers  for  the  furtherance 
of  the  pursuits  of  science  and  commerce.  The  British  government,  full 
of  anticipation  of  the  glory  to  be  achieved  among  the  nations  of  the  earth 


142  VOTAGB   OF  PHIPPS. 

by  the  discovery  of  the  Northwest  Passage,  the  dream  of  her  merchants 
for  nearly  three  centuries,  proceeded  first  to  dispatch  an  expedition  due 
north  to  investigate  the  possibilities  of  that  route. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1773,  Captain  Constantine  John  Phipps,  who 
was  raised  to  the  peerage  as  Lord  Mulgrave  in  1784,  received  formal 
instructions  for  a  voyage  to  the  North  Pole,  or  as  far  toward  it  as  possi- 
ble. He  was  to  prosecute  the  voyage  as  nearly  as  ice  and  other  obsta- 
cles would  permit,  on  a  meridian.  His  observations  were  to  be  such  as 
might  prove  useful  to  navigation,  and  promote  science.  Should  he  reach 
the  Pole  and  find  open  sea  beyond  he  was  not  to  suffer  himself  to  go  on, 
but.was  to  get  back  to  the  Nare  before  winter.  A  discretionary  clause  was 
added,  empowering  him  to  follow  his  best  judgment  in  such  unforeseen 
circumstances  as  might  arise.  He  was  to  command  the  Racehorse,  and 
to  her  was  joined  the  Carcass  under  Capt.  Lutwidge,  •  who  was  sub- 
ject to  his  orders,  with  the  proviso  that  should  evil  befall  the  Racehorse 
he  was  to  assume  command  of  the  Carcass. 

They  got  fairly  under  way  on  June  4,  and  anchored  in  a  small  bay 
between  Magdalena  and  Hamburgher  Bays,  off  Spitzbergen,  on  July  4. 
On  the  9th  they  were  as  high  as  80°  36',  and  were  caught  in  the 
ice  on  the  3ist.  They  forced  their  way  southward  through  the  ice, 
reaching  Seven  Islands'  Bay,  on  the  northwest  coast  of  Spitzbergen, 
Aug.  6,  and  the  Nare  on  Sept.  24.  In  1774  Captain  Phipps  published  a 
detailed  account  of  this  Arctic  expedition  under  the  title  of  a  "Journal 
of  a  Voyage  Toward  the  North  Pole." 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

COOK'S  ENTERPRISE  FOR   DISCOVERING  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE LEAVES 

PLYMOUTH EXTENSIVE     BARTER    WITH     NATIVES ARRIVE    AT 

SANDWICH     ISLANDS OUTRAGES     OF     THE      HAWAIIANS CAPT. 

COOK     MURDERED APPROVAL     OF     COOK     BY     ROYAL     SOCIETY 

CAPT.    CLERKE     TAKES     CHARGE     OF    THE     EXPEDITION MARKET 

FURS    IN    CANTON. 

Phipps'  failure  due  north  did  not  extinguish  the  hope  of  finding  a 
route  from  the. Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  in  the  northwest.  The  famous 
Captain  Cook  had  won  fresh  laurels  as  a  navigator  in  1772,  and  had 
been  awarded  the  Copley  medal  for  his  success  in  preserving  the  health 
of  his  men  during  his  voyage  around  the  world.  His  courage,  sagacity 
and  experience  pointed  him  out  as  the  man  for  the  contemplated  search 
voyage;  and  having  volunteered  his  services  he  was  gladly  appointed  to 
the  command.  His  instructions  were  to  proceed  to  the  North  Pacific,  to 
commence  his  search  on  the  northwest  coast  of  America  in  latitude  65  °  , 
and  to  waste  no  time  in  instituting  researches  in  lower  latitudes.  The 
Resolution  and  Discovery  were  speedily  fitted  out,  and  the  latter  placed 
under  the  subordinate  command  of  Captain  Edward  Clerke.  Bayley 
and  Anderson,  companions  of  his  former  voyage,  accompanied  Cook  as 
astronomer  and  naturalist. 

July  12,  1776,  Captain  Cook  left  Plymouth,  England,  and  was 
joined  by  Captain  Clerke  in  Table  Bay,  near  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
some  weeks  later.  It  was  the  last  day  of  November  before  they  left  the 
Cape,  whence  they  proceeded  eastward  through  the  Indian  Ocean,  pass- 
ing Prince  Edward's  Island  December  12,  and  reaching  Kerguelen 
Land  on  the  24th.  Here  Cook  rectified  the  mistake  of  the  discoverer 
Kerguelen  by  ascertaining  it  to  be  an  island,  not  a  continent,  and  charac- 
terized it  as  the  Island  of  Desolation.  For  three  hundred  leagues  east  of 

143 


144  COOK  DISCOVERS  SANDWICH  ISLANDS. 

Kerguelen  they  were  so  beset  by  fog  that  it  was  necessary  to  fire  signal 
guns  to  avoid  getting  separated  in  the  dark.  They  arrived  at  Adventure 
Bay  on  the  south  coast  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,  now  Tasmania,  on  the 
26th  of  January,  1777,  and  in  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  New  Zealand,  on 
the  I2th  of  February.  On  the  25th  they  proceeded  northward,  reaching 
Mangaia  and  Atioo,  two  of  the  Cook  Islands  or  Hervey  Archipelago,  on 
the  29th  of  March.  The  season  was  now  considered  too  far  advanced 
to  venture  into  unknown  seas  with  the  prospect  of  achieving  anything 
important,  and  Captain  Cook  decided  on  further  exploration  in  the 
tropics,  postponing  his  northward  trip  until  the  following  year.  They 
spent  nearly  three  months  in  peaceable  intercourse  with  the  natives  of 
the  Tonga  and  Feejee  groups,  to  which  Cook  gave  the  collective  name 
of  Friendly  Islands.  On  the  1 2th  of  August  they  arrived  at  Tahiti  or 
Otaheite,  one  of  the  Society  Islands,  to  the  southeast  of  the  Friendly 
Islands.  On  the  8th  of  December  they  again  directed  their  course  to  the 
northward  from  Bolabola,  the  most  northern  of  the  Society  group;  and 
on  the  i8th  of  January,  1778,  they  discovered  the  islands  of  the  Hawaiian 
Archipelago.  Cook  named  these  the  Sandwich  Islands,  in  honor  of  the 
first  lord  of  the  British  admiralty,  John  Montague,  Earl  of  Sandwich,  the 
chief  promoter  of  the  voyage  in  which  he  was  now  engaged. 

After  a  stay  of  several  weeks  Cook  now  directed  his  course  for  the 
mainland  of  America,  reaching  the  New  Albion  of  Drake,  in  latitude  44° 
33',  on  March  7.  Coasting  north,  they  arrived  at  Nootka  Sound  in  lati- 
tude 49°  35' .  The  inhabitants  were  found  clad  in  furs,  which  they  offered 
for  sale,  and  were  civil  to  the  strangers.  They  evinced  an  almost  Eng- 
lish appreciation  of  the  rights  of  property,  expecting  pay  for  everything 
that  was  taken,  even  the  wood  and  water  necessary  for  the  ships.  They 
were  acquainted  with  iron,  but  preferred  brass,  whence  it  came  to  pass 
that  the  sailors  bartered  all  their  buttons  for  furs.  In  latitude  59°  the 
natives  were  found  to  resemble  the  Esquimaux  of  Hudson's  Bay  in  lan- 
guage as  well  as  in  physical  appearance;  and  were  not  so  grasping  in 
their  dealings.  In  what  has  since  been  named  Cook's  Inlet  they  thought 
to  have  found  a  passage  to  the  Northern  Ocean,  but  found  it  penetrated 
only  about  200  miles.  Cook  then  sailed  westward,  and  on  the  9th  of 


COOK  SURVETS  HAWAII.  145 

August  made  the  extreme  northwestern  point  of  America,  to  which 
he  gave  the  name  of  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  distant  from  the  northeast- 
ern point  of  Asia,  at  Cape  East,  only  thirteen  leagues,  as  ascertained  by 
him.  They  landed  among  the  Tchuktchi,  but  did  not  tarry  long,  as  they 
were  anxious  to  push  to  the  north  before  the  close  of  the  season. 

On  the  1 8th  of  August,  in  latitude  70°  44',  they  came  abreast  of  the 
ice,  which  they  found  six  feet  high  on  the  edge,  and  extending  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  an  impenetrable  mass,  covered  with  walruses.  Of  these 
the  sailors  killed  a  considerable  number,  glad  to  exchange  the  monotony 
of  salt  provisions  for  the  fresh  but  coarse  flesh  of  these  animals.  Cook 
now  concluded  to  turn  from  the  impracticable  Northern  Ocean  and  turn 
his  attention  for  a  season  to  the  further  exploration  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands.  On  the  26th  of  November  they  arrived  at  Mowee  or  Maui,  an 
island  of  that  group,  which  they  had  not  before  visited,  in  latitude  20°  50% 
and  on  the  3Oth  the  large  island  of  Owhyhee  or  Hawaii,  which  Cook 
spent  seven  weeks  in  circumnavigating  and  surveying.  They  finally 
anchored  in  Kealakeakua  Bay,  about  the  middle  of  January.  1779,  and 
were  visited  by  crowds  of  natives.  The  relations  of  visitors  and  visited, 
of  civilized  English  and  semi-barbarous  Hawaiian,  were  mutually  pleasant; 
nothing  occurred  to  mar  the  harmony  of  their  intercourse;  and  the 
opinions  formed  by  each  party  of  the  other  grew  daily  more  favorable, 
as  weeks  of  acquaintance  passed  into  months,  and  the  English  still  lin- 
gered on  their  hospitable  shores.  Captain  Cook  very  justly  felt  that  the 
failure  to  penetrate  the  Northern  Ocean  was  more  than  compensated  for 
by  the  discovery  of  these  islands.  "  To  this  disappointment,"  says  he, 
"we  owed  our  having  it  in  our  power  to  visit  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and 
to  enrich  our  voyage  with  a  discovery,  which,  though  the  last,  seemed  in 
many  respects  to  be  the  most  important  that  had  hitherto  been  made  by 
Europeans  throughout  the  extent  of  the  Pacific  Ocean." 

Provisions  were  procured  in  abundance  for  the  "  floating  islands,"  as 
the  Hawaiians  called  them ;  and  Cook  was  quite  successful  in  salting  a 
quantity  of  pork  for  sea  stores.  Finally  he  prepared  to  sail  around  the 
islands  to  make  an  accurate  survey  of  the  whole  group,  and  weighed 
anchor  on  the  4th  of  September.  But  a  storm  arose  soon  after,  which 
10 


116 


MURDER   OF  COOK. 


seriously  sprung  the  mainmast  of  the  Resolution,  and  they  re-entered  the 
harbor  for  necessary  repairs.  In  the  short  interval  that  had  elapsed,  the 
better  disposed  of  the  native  population,  with  most  of  their  leaders  or 
chiefs,  had  withdrawn  into  the  interior.  The  crews  now  came  in  con- 
tact with  the  more  thievish  and  unprincipled  of  the  Hawaiians,  and  quar- 
rels became  almost  incessant.  A  serious  feud  arose  through  the  theft  of 
a  pair  of  tongs  from  the  forge  of  the  ship's  smith  by  an  unprincipled  na- 
tive. The  English  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  thief  were  roughly  handled  by 
a  mob,  and  on  the  heels  of  this  redoubled  outrage  followed  the  theft  of 
one  of  the  ship's  boats.  Captain  Cook  hereupon  determined  to  seize  the 
king,  Tereeoboo,  and  hold  him  as  a  hostage  for  the  good  behavior  of  his 
people,  and  the  return  of  the  stolen  property. 

On  the  I4th  of  February,  1779,  he  landed  with  a  body  of  armed  ma- 
rines to  carry  out  this  resolution.  The  king  offered  no  resistance,  but  with 
his  two  sons  peacefully  accompanied  the  English  to  the  shore,  when  the 
excited  natives  gathered  in  crowds  and  prevented  the  embarkation.  An 
accident  precipitated  the  impending  conflict.  One  of  the  armed  English- 
men at  the  other  end  of  the  bay  fired  a  gun  to  stop  a  native  canoe  that 
was  about  to  quit  the  shore.  Unfortunately,  through  misdirection  of  aim 
or  oscillation  of  the  canoe,  the  shot  that  was  intended  to  pass  overhead, 
killed  a  chief  named  Kareemoo.  The  natives,  taking  this  for  a  gage 
of  battle,  prepared  for  war,  brandished  their  knives,  and  put  on  their  war 
mats.  Captain  Cook  restrained  his  men,  and  they  held  back  their  fire 
till  it  was  too  late.  Threatened  by  a  native,  Cook  himself  fired  his  mus- 
ket loaded  with  small  shot,  which  only  rendered  his  assailant  more  furi- 
ous. The  marines  and  the  crew  now  fired  on  the  mob,  but  these  were 
so  closely  packed  at  the  water's  edge  that  they  crowded  each  other  on 
toward  their  assailants,  and  in  the  melee  four  of  the  English  were 
killed.  The  jam  became  so  great  that  firearms  were  of  but  little  use, 
and  Cook  was  at  the  mercy  of  his  enemies.  He  was  seen  to  make  an 
effort  to  reach  the  boat,  with  one  of  the  natives  in  close  pursuit,  who, 
dealing  him  a  stunning  blow  on  the  head  with  a  club,  precipitately  re- 
treated. Cook  fell  on  one  knee  and  dropped  his  musket,  and  as  he  was 
rising,  another  native  stabbed  him  in  the  back  of  the  neck  with  a  dagger. 


EULOGT  ON  COOK.  147 

He  then  fell  into  the  water,  when  others  crowded  upon  him  to  keep  him 
down.  He  was  within  twenty  feet  of  the  boat,  but  the  mass  of  his 
assailants  was  so  dense,  and  the  crew  so  confused  and  panic-stricken, 
that  he  could  not  be  rescued.  He  struggled  bravely  with  his  foes  and 
got  his  head  above  water,  when  they  again  pounced  upon  him  with 
greater  violence,  pushing  him  into  deeper  water.  Again  he  forced  his 
way  to  the  surface,  but  only  to  be  struck  down  with  a  club,  which  ter- 
minated the  struggle.  They  then  hauled,  his  lifeless  remains  ashore  and 
vied  with  each  other  in  inflicting  unnecessary  wounds  upon  their  fallen 
victim. 

The  natives  were  soon  after  dispersed,  seeming  to  have  glutted  their 
revenge  by  the  slaughter  of  Cook.  Some  time  elapsed  before  Captain 
Clerke  could  obtain  the  mutilated  remains  for  burial.  They  were  com- 
mitted to  the  deep  with  the  customary  naval  honcfrs,  and  amid  the  sincere 
lamentations  of  the  afflicted  crews.  Captain  Cook  was  specially  solici- 
tous of  the  welfare  of  his  men.  In  1776,  when  he  was  presented  with  the 
Copley  medal,  John  Pringle,  President  of  the  Royal  Society,  thus  em- 
phasized his  merit  in  that  particular: 

"  What  inquiry  can  be  so  useful  as  that  which  has  for  its  object  the 
saving  the  lives  of  men  ?  And  where  shall  we  find  one  more  successful 
than  that  before  us.  [Cook's  account  of  his  method  for  preserving  the 
health  of  his  men.]  Here  are  no  vain  boastings  of  the  empiric,  nor  in- 
genious and  delusive  theories  of  the  dogmatist;  but  a  concise  and  artless, 
and  an  uncontested  relation  of  the  means  by  which,  under  divine  favor, 
Capt.  Cook,  with  a  company  of  1 18  men,  performed  a  voyage  of  three  years 
and  eighteen  days  throughout  all  the  climates  from  52  °  north  to  71  ° 
south  latitude,  with  the  loss  of  only  one  man  by  sickness.  I  would  now 
inquire  of  the  most  conversant  with  the  bills  of  mortality,  whether,  in  the 
most  healthy  climate  and  the  best  condition  of  life,  they  have  ever  found 
so  small  a  number  of  deaths  within  that  space  of  time?  How  great  and 
agreeable,  then,  must  our  surprise  be,  after  perusing  the  history  of  long 
navigations  in  former  days,  when  so  many  perished  by  marine  diseases, 
to  find  the  air  of  the  sea  acquitted  of  all  malignity ;  and,  in  fine,  that  a 
voyage  round  the  world  may  be  undertaken  with  less  danger,  perhaps, 


148  CLERKB  ASSUMES  COMMAND. 

to  health,  than  a  common  tour  in  Europe."  And  it  may  be  added  that 
with  all  the  modern  appliances  of  preserved  meats,  carefully  prepared 
pemmican,  canned  fruits,  lime-juice  and  sundry  other  anti-scorbutics  no 
navigator  has  succeeded  in  leaving  a  better  record.  He  not  only  cared 
for  his  men,  but  he  also  knew  how  to  elicit  their  confidence  and  esteem. 
He  was  kindly  and  considerate,  but  also  decided  and  energetic,  and  knew 
how  to  rule  as  well  as  conciliate.  He  probably  erred  in  attempt- 
ing to  enforce  the  rigid  rules  of  stern  discipline  against  the  savages  of 
Hawaii,  and  paid  the  penalty  with  his  life.  Holding  races  of  infantile 
simplicity  mixed  with  adult  cunning  to  the  responsibilities  of  civilized 
men  was  an  error  of  the  times,  which  has  not  even  yet  been  quite  out- 
grown. And  the  fame  of  Cook  cannot  be  dimmed  by  an  error  of  judg- 
ment. Such  criticism  would  rob  humanity  of  all  its  heroes. 

Captain  Clerke  now  assumed  command  of  the  expedition,  intrusting 
his  ship,  the  Discovery,  to  the  immediate  command  of  Lieutenant  Gore. 
They  proceeded  to  the  Northern  Ocean,  touching  at  Petropaulovsky,  in 
Avatcha  Bay,  on  the  coast  of  Kamchatka,  where  they  were  received  by 
the  Russians  with  marked  hospitality.  Passing  thence  through  Behring's 
Strait, they  reached  latitude  70°  33',  where  they  encountered  the  ice  some 
twenty  miles  lower  than  on  the  previous  occasion.  They  relinquished 
all  further  attempt  in  that  direction,  and  set  sail  for  the  homeward  voy- 
age. When  they  again  reached  Kamchatka,  Captain  Clerke  died,  and 
was  buried  on  shore.  The  command  of  the  expedition  then  devolved 
upon  Captain  Gore,  with  Lieutenant  King  in  charge  of  the  second 
vessel.  They  arrived  at  Macao,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Canton  River,  in 
China,  December  third,  when  they  learned  of  the  war  between 
England  and  her  American  colonies,  aided  by  the  French;  and  at  the 
same  time  of  the  generous  order  of  the  latter  government  that  the  vessels 
of  Cook's  expedition  should  be  treated  as  neutrals  by  the  cruisers  of 
France. 

In  Canton  the  English  seamen  enjoyed  an  episode  that  formed  an 
agreeable  contrast  to  their  late  experience.  They  found  an  unexpected 
market  for  the  furs  for  which  they  had  bartered  knives,  trinkets,  and 
even  their  brass  buttons  two  vears  before  on  the  northwest  coast  of 


JOURNET  HOMEWARD  149 

America.  "One  of  our  seamen,"  says  Lieutenant  King,  "sold  his  stock 
alone  for  $800;  and  a  few  prime  skins,  which  were  clean  and  had  been 
well  preserved,  were  sold  for  $120  each.  The  whole  amount  of  the 
value,  in  specie  and  goods,  that  was  got  for  the  furs  in  both  ships,  I  am 
confident  did  not  fall  short  of  £2000  sterling;  and  it  was  generally  sup- 
posed that  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  quantity  we  had  originally  got  from 
the  Americans  were  spoiled  and  worn  out,  or  had  been  given  away  or 
otherwise  disposed  of  in  Kamchatka.  When,  in  addition  to  these  facts, 
it  is  remembered  that  the  furs  were  at  first  collected  without  our  having 
any  idea  of  their  real  value;  that  the  greater  part  had  been  worn  by  the 
Indians  from  whom  we  had  purchased  them ;  that  they  were  afterward 
preserved  with  little  care,  and  frequently  used  for  bed-clothes  and  other 
purposes ;  and  that  probably  we  had  not  received  the  full  value  for  them  in 
China ;  the  advantages  that  might  be  derived  from  a  voyage  to  that  part 
of  the  American  coast,  undertaken  with  commercial  views,  appeared  to 
me  of  a  degree  of  importance  sufficient  to  call  for  the  attention  of  the 
public." 

A  few  of  the  seamen  were  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  same  con- 
viction that  they  deserted  the  ships  and  were  among  the  first  Englishmen 
to  engage  in  the  Pacific  fur  trade. 

Leaving  Canton  with  replenished  purses  they  finally  arrived  in  safety 
at  the  Nore  on  the  fourth  of  October,  1780,  after  an  absence  of  four 
years,  two  months  and  twenty-three  days.  Five  men  had  died  on  the 
Resolution,  three  of  whom  were  sickly  before  leaving  England;  the 
Discovery  had  not  lost  a  man. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

ENGLISH  AND    DANISH  VOYAGES FROBISHER POND MACKENZIE 

DISCOVERS  MACKENZIE'S  RIVER — GODTHAAB  COLONY  FOUNDED — 
SCORESBY  MAKES  FIRST  VOYAGE  TO  GREENLAND — WM.  SCORESBY, 

JR.,  BEGINS  SEAFARING  LIFE VOYAGE  TO  SPITZBERGEN  SEAS 

NUMEROUS    REMAINS    OF    ANIMAL    LIFE  SCORESBY    PUBLISHES 

ACCOUNT   OF    HIS   TRAVELS  NECESSITY    THE    MOTHER    OF    IN- 
VENTION  DISCOVERS  CAPE  HOPE INAUGURATES  THE  USE  OF 

BOATS  AND  SLEDGES. 

In  1775  Joseph  Frobisher,  engaged  in  the  fur  trade,  reached  the 
Mississippi  or  Churchill  River,  in  the  interior,  through  the  region  north- 
west of  Lake  Superior,  and  made  a  second  successful  trip  the  ensuing 
year.  His  brother,  in  1777,  reached  Lac  de  la  Croix,  now  Lacrosse 
Lake,  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Churchill;  and  in  1778,  a  Mr.  Pond 
following  in  their  footsteps,  and  proceeding  farther  north,  had  discovered 
Lake  Athabasca. 

From  Fort  Chippewyan  at  the  west  end  of  Lake  Athabasca,,  Alex- 
ander Mackenzie  set  out  on  the  third  of  June,  1789,  attended  by  a  party  of 
Canadians  and  some  Indians,  to  discover  another  great  river  to  the  north- 
west, of  which  he  had  heard  from  the  natives.  One  of  the  Indians  had 
been  in  the  service  of  Hearne  eight  or  ten  years  before.  Having  found 
the  river,  he  proceeded  to  descend  it  to  its  mouth.  On  the  i2th  of  July 
they  entered  what  they  took  to  be  a  lake,  from  the  shallowness  of  the 
water,  though  they  saw  no  land  ahead.  "  At  a  few  leagues  from  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  my  people,"  says  Mackenzie,  "could  not,  at  this  time, 
refrain  from  expressions  of  real  concern  that  they  were  obliged  to  return 
without  reaching  the  sea."  But  noticing  a  rise  of  eighteen  inches  in  the 
water,  they  concluded  they  had  reached  the  ocean,  as  it  could  only  be  as- 
cribed to  the  tide.  This  opinion  was  confirmed  by  the  appearance  of 

150 


GODTHAAB  FOUNDED.  151 

several  whales  sporting  on  the  ice.  He  ascertained  the  latitude  to  be 
69  °  14',  and  named  the  island  on  which  they  had  camped  Whale  Island. 
The  river  has  been  called  by  his  name,  and  its  mouth  is  now  determined 
to  be  in  latitude  68  °  50',  an  error  of  24',  which,  considering  the  imper- 
fection of  his  instruments,  must  be  regarded  as  a  very  creditable  approxi- 
mation. With  this  discovery  and  that  of  the  great  interior  chain  of  lakes 
and  rivers  with  which  the  Mackenzie  connects,  the  Hudson's  Bay '  Com- 
pany's territory  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  may  be  said  to  have  been 
outlined,  and  the  Arctic  Ocean  proper  reached  for  the  first  time  by  land 
on  the  American  coast.  In  1792  Mr.  Mackenzie  ascended  the  Peace 
River,  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  descended  the  Simpson  River 
in  1793,  reaching  the  Pacific  Ocean  just  south  of  the  Prince  of  Wales 
Islands,  where  he  registered  his  name  on  the  face  of  a  rock — "  Alexander 
Mackenzie,  from  Canada  by  land,  the  2ad  of  July,  1793  " — whence  he 
returned  by  the  same  route,  arriving  at  Fort  Chippewyan  on  Lake  Atha- 
basca, on  the  24th  of  August. 

DANISH  VOYAGES  TO  GREENLAND. 

Besides  the  voyages  previously  mentioned — of  the  Norsemen  toward 
the  close  of  the  tenth  century,  and  those  under  the  auspices  of  Christian 
IV.  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth — there  were  a  few  noteworthy 
Danish  expeditions  to  Greenland  in  more  recent  times.  That  of  Hans 
Egede,  in  1721,  though  mainly  inspired  with  the  hope  of  finding  traces 
of  the  lost  Norse  colonies,  and  his  missionary  zeal,  is  of  interest,  as  it  led 
to  the  establishment  of  the  first  modern  European  settlement  on  the  coast 
of  Greenland.  By  the  sacrifice  of  his  personal  fortune  and  with  the  aid 
of  a  few  friends,  Egede  succeeded  in  forming  the  Greenland  Company 
with  a  cash  capital  of  $9,000;  and  an  annual  endowment  of  $300  from 
the  missionary  fund,  to  which  were  added  $200  by  King  Ferdinand  IV., 
who,  however,  died  nine  years  later.  Egede  left  Bergen  May  12,  and 
arrived  on  the  western  coast  of  Greenland  in  Davis'  Strait,  latitude  64  ° , 
on  July  3,  and  founded  the  settlement  of  Godthaab  with  forty  Danish 
colonists.  On  the  death  of  his  royal  patrons,  the  Danish  government, 
disappointed  in  its  anticipations  of  a  lucrative  trade  with  the  natives  and 


152  CLA  VERING-GRAAH. 

the  failure  to  find  any  trace  of  the  old  colonists,   not  only    withdrew  its 
paltry  endowment,  but  ordered  the  colony  to  be  broken  up. 

In  1733,  through  the  zeal  of  the  celebrated  Count  Zinzendorf,  King 
Christian  VI.  was  induced  to  countermand  the  order  for  the  extinc- 
tion of  the  Godthaab  Colony.  Not  confining  himself  to  this  act  of  jus- 
tice, he  endowed  the  mission  with  an  annuity  of  $2,000,  and  intrusted  it 
to  the  care  of  three  Moravian  brethren,  members  of  the  religious  com- 
munity founded  by  Zinzendorf.  With  his  mission  thus  strengthened 
and  its  permanence  assured,  Egede  returned  to  Denmark  in  1735,  where 
he  died  in  1758,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.  He  had  been  able  to  find 
ruins  of  churches  and  other  buildings  here  and  there  along  the  coast,  but 
no  trace  of  survivors  of  the  old  Norse  settlements,  nor  any  tradition 
among  the  Esquimaux  that  they  had  ever  existed.  Fifty  years  after  his 
return  an  expedition  was  sent  out  in  1786,  under  command  of  Capt. 
LOwenorn,  to  search  for  them  on  the  east  coast.  But  neither  he,  nor  the 
Scoresbys,  in  their  many  voyages  to  those  coasts  from  1791  to  1822,  nor 
Clavering  in  1823,  were  ever  able  to  discover  any  traces  of  European 
settlements  in  Greenland.  The  explorations  of  the  Scoresbys  and  Clav- 
erings  were,  however,  too  far  to  the  north,  but  there  yet  remained  to  be 
examined  the  southeastern  coast,  north  of  Cape  Farewell.  This  was 
undertaken  in  1828,  under  the  auspices  of  King  Frederick  VI.  who 
commissioned  Capt.  Graah  to  make  a  careful  inspection  of  that  coast. 
Proceeding  from  the  most  southern  point,  in  1829,  he  made  frequent 
landings  as  high  as  65  °  18'.  It  was  deemed  useless  to  prosecute  the 
search  farther,  as  it  was  believed  no  colony  could  have  existed  farther 
north.  The  result  of  his  careful  investigations  was  the  conclusion  that  no 
Norse  settlements  had  ever  been  founded  on  that  coast.  Not  a  trace  of 
church  or  other  building,  not  the  faintest  tradition  among  the  natives,  not 
a  word  in  their  language,  not  a  tool  or  implement  in  their  hands,  could 
be  found  to  furnish  the  slightest  suspicion  that  the  country  had  ever  had 
any  European  inhabitants.  It  was  inferred  that  the  "east  bygd"  (or 
bight)  of  the  old  chroniclers  was  therefore  not  the  east  coast  of  Green- 
land, but  only  the  most  eastern  portion  of  that  part  which  was  known  to 
them.  The  "  east  bygd  "  was  probably  identical  with  the  extensive  dis- 


EARLT  LIFE   OF  SCORESBY.  153 

trict  now  known  by  the  name  of  the  station  or  settlement  of  Julianshaab; 
and  the  "west  bygd,"  with  Fiskernaes,  to  the  northwest. 

VOYAGES  OF  THE    SCORESBYS. 

Capt.  William  Scoresby,  the  elder,  made  his  first  voyage  to  Green- 
land in  1791,  and  made  thirty  distinct  voyages  to  Arctic  Seas,  but  they 
were  all  of  a  commercial  character;  and  only  incidentally  of  geograph- 
ical or  scientific  value.  In  1806  he  reached  as  high  as  81°  12'  in  Green- 
land Sea,  a  higher  latitude  than  had  been  reached  by  any  preceding  nav- 
igator, where  he  saw  "a  great  openness  or  sea  of  water."  Being  engaged 
in  a  whaling  voyage  only,  he  did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  go  forward  to  the 
north,  thus  losing  an  exceptional  opportunity  perhaps  of  reaching  the 
Pole.  Again,  in  1817,  deviating  from  the  usual  northern  route  of  the 
whalers,  he  steered  west  through  the  ice  to  the  coast  of  Greenland, 
which  he  reached  some  minutes  north  of  70°.  Here  he  could  easily 
have  landed,  but  his  business  being  whale-catching,  not  exploration,  he 
sailed  back  again  into  the  open  sea  to  secure  a  cargo.  In  one  of  his 
whaling  ventures  he  is  said  to  have  taken  the  large  number  of  thirty-six 
whales.  His  name  was  given  to  Scoresby  Sound,  where  he  landed  on 
one  of  his  later  voyages.  He  made  some  improvements  in  the  details  of 
whaling;  and  is  credited  with  the  invention  of  the  form  of  observatory 
known  as  "the  round  top-gallant  crow's-nest,'-'  used  as  a  lookout  station. 
He  died  in  1829,  in  his  seventieth  year. 

Capt.  William  Scoresby,  the  younger  son  of  the  preceding,  was  born 
in  1790,  and  began  a  seafaring  life  when  in  his  eleventh  year.  In  his 
seventeenth,  he  was  first  mate  to  his  father  in  the  famous  voyage  of 
1806,  to  which  we  have  already  referred.  Before  he  was  quite  twenty- 
one,  he  was  in  command  of  the  whaler  Resolution.  In  one  of  his  voy- 
ages to  Spitzbergen  seas,  he  landed  near  Cape  Mitre,  and  ascended  a 
mountain  3,000  feet  high.  At  a  certain  point  of  this  laborious  ascent  the 
ridge  was  so  narrow  and  the  sides  so  precipitous  that  he  could  advance 
with  safety  only  by  straddling  it  and  working  forward  with  his  hands 
and  legs.  It  cost  him  several  hours  of  hard  work  to  reach  the  summit, 
and  very  often  a  single  false  step  would  have  precipitated  him  to  his 


154  NUMEROUS  REMAINS  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE. 

death  in  the  abyss  beneath.  But  he  was  delighted  with  the  result  of  his 
achievement. 

"  The  prospect,"  says  he,  "was  most  extensive  and  grand.  A  fine 
sheltered  bay  was  seen  to  the  east  of  us ;  an  arm  of  the  sea  on  the  north- 
east; and  t'he  sea,  whose  glassy  surface  was  unruffled  by  a  breeze, 
formed  an  immense  expanse  on  the  west.  The  icebergs,  rearing  their 
proud  crests  almost  to  the  tops  of  the  mountains  between  which  they 
were  lodged,  and  defying  the  power  of  the  solar  beams,  were  scattered  in 
various  directions  about  the  sea-coast  and  in  the  adjoining  bays.  Beds 
of  snow  and  ice,  filling  extensive  hollows,  and  giving  an  enameled  coat 
to  adjoining  valleys — one  of  which,  commencing  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain where  we  stood,  extended  in  a  continued  line  toward  the  south  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach ;  mountain  rising  above  mountain,  until  by  dis- 
tance they  dwindled  into  insignificance ;  the  whole  contrasted  by  a  cloud- 
less canopy  of  deepest  azure,  and  lightened  by  the  rays  of  a  blazing 
sun,  and  the  effect  aided  by  a  feeling  of  danger — seated  as  we  were  on 
the  pinnacle  of  a  rock,  almost  surrounded  by  tremendous  precipices — all 
united  to  constitute  a  picture  singularly  sublime. 

"  Our  descent  we  found  really  a  very  hazardous,  and  in  some  in- 
stances, a  painful  undertaking.  Every  movement  was  a  work  of  deliber- 
ation. Having  by  much  care  and  some  anxiety  made  good  our  descent 
to  the  top  of  the  secondary  hills,  we  took  our  way  down  one  of  the  steep- 
est banks,  and  slid  forward  with  great  facility  in  a  sitting  posture. 
Toward  the  foot  of  the  hill,  an  expanse  of  snow  stretched  across  the  line 
of  descent.  This  being  loose  and  soft,  we  entered  upon  it  without  fear, 
but  on  reaching  the  middle  of  it  we  came  to  a  surface  of  solid  ice,  per- 
haps a  hundred  yards  across,  over  which  we  launched  with  astonishing 
velocity,  but  happily  escaped  without  injury.  The  men  whom  we  left 
below  viewed  this  latter  movement  with  astonishment  and  fear." 

In  his  further  explorations  along  the  east  he  found  many  skulls  and 
large  bones  of  whales,  narwals,  sea-horses,  seals  and  foxes.  Two  Rus- 
sian lodges,  giving  tokens  of  recent  habitation  by  quantities  of  fresh  chips 
and  other  tokens  lying  around,  and  the  ruins  of  an  older  one,  were  found 
upon  a  shingly  ridge  adjoining  the  sea.  Amid  the  boulders  which  had 


EIGHTEENTH    VOYAGE   OF  SCORESBT.  155 

in  the  process  of  ages  rolled  down  upon  the  shore,  or  been  conveyed 
thither  by  icebergs  and  ice-floes  in  great  numbers,  sea-birds  had  built 
their  nests  and  laid  their  eggs,  which  they  defended  with  great  courage 
and  much  clamor  against  their  enemies,  the  gulls.  The  only  insect  seen 
was  a  species  of  green  fly,  but  medusae  and  shrimps  abounded  in  the 
water  along  the  coast.  He  found  two  species  of  fucacea?,  a  sub-order  of 
the  algae,  or  sea-weeds. 

A  dead  whale  was  found  stranded  on  the  beach,  which,  notwithstand^ 
ing  its  swollen  and  half-putrid  condition,  proved  worth  about  $2,000. 
Scoresby  inferred  from  the  harpoon  with  which  it  had  been  killed,  and 
which  still  stuck  where  it  had  been  driven,  that  it  had  been  attacked  by 
fishermen  at  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe  and  had  worked  its  way  north,  not- 
withstanding its  wound,  to  the  spot  where  it  was  found.  It  was  a  labori- 
ous task  to  take  the  oil  and  blubber  aboard  the  ship  which  stood  off  the 
shore  some  two  miles,  and  was  driven  still  farther  by  the  wind  before 
they  had  secured  all  the  products.  With  the  sixth  boat-load  they  had  to 
chase  the  ship,  which  they  found  great  difficulty  in  overtaking. 

After  Scoresby  had  made  seventeen  voyages  to  Arctic  seas,  he  pub- 
lished, in  1820,  "An  Account  of  the  Arctic  Regions."  This  work  added 
largely  to  the  rather  scant  stock  of  general  information  on  that  subject, 
and  constituted  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  hydrography,  meteorology, 
and  natural  history  of  northern  lands  and  seas.  In  1822  he  made  his 
eighteenth  voyage,  arriving  on  the  coast  of  Greenland  in  the  vicinity  of 
Scoresby's  Sound,  where  his  father  had  been  some  years  before.  He  ex- 
plored the  coast  to  the  north,  which  has  been  named  Scoresby's  Land  in 
his  honor,  and  which  he  described  as  the  most  grand  and  majestic  he  had 
ever  seen.  The  mountains  of  this  coast  he  named  Roscoe,  in  honor  of 
William  Roscoe,  poet,  historian,  member  of  parliament,  and  banker. 
They  consist  of  a  number  of  peaks  about  3,000  feet  high,  and  a  still 
greater  number  of  lower  pyramidal  elevations  and  a  chaotic  mass  of  jag- 
ged foot-hills  with  their  rough  declivities  and  narrow  ravines.  On  the 
24th  of  July  he  landed  on  a  rocky  promontory  at  70°  30',  which  he 
named  Cape  Lister,  in  honor  of  the  famous  London  merchant  and  opti- 
cian, Joseph  Jackson  Lister.  He  climbed  to  its  summit  to  examine  the 


156 


ESQUIMAUX  CAMP. 


flora  of  this  coast,  which  he  described  in  his  account  of  the  voyage  and  its 
results,  published  in  1823  at  Edinburgh. 

A  little  farther  on — at  what  he  named  Cape  Swainson,  in  honor 
of  the  distinguished  naturalist,  William  Swainson  —  he  descended 
to  the  shore.  Here  he  found  a  recently  deserted  camp  of  the 


WILLIAM   SCORESBY. 

Esquimaux.  Charred  driftwood  and  ashes  lay  on  the  hearths  of 
the  several  huts.  No  land  animals  were  seen,  but  a  number  of 
great  auks  and  other  sea-fowls  animated  the  waters.  Mosquitoes, 
butterflies,  bees,  and  some  other  less-known  insects  flew  about  among  the 


JAN  MATEN  ISLAND.  157 

crags  on  the  hillsides,  in  this  the  solitary  summer  month  of  Greenland, 
the  only  one  in  which  there  is  no  snow.  The  Esquimaux  huts  showed 
considerable  ingenuity  on  the  part  of  the  builders.  The  climate  being 
excessively  severe,  special  protection  against  the  cold  had  to  be  devised 
by  the  simple  natives.  "Necessity  proved  to  be  the  mother  of  invention," 
there  as  elsewhere,  among  the  children  of  men.  A  tunnel  fifteen  feet 
long,  and  opening  to  the  south,  was  found  leading  to  each  hut.  This  is 
but  slightly  raised  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  being  so  low  that  even 
the  stunted  Esquimaux  are  compelled  to  crawl  through  it  on  their 
hands  and  feet.  Its  bottom  is  usually  a  little  lower  than  the  floor  of  the 
hut  to  which  it  leads,  and  is  further  depressed  about  the  center,  so  that 
the  colder  and  heavier  outer  air  is  kept  from  the  hut,  instead  of  blowing 
directly  through  on  the  same  level.  Experience  had  taught  these  deni- 
zens of  latitude  71  °  what  men  in  happier  climes  and  with  the  advan- 
tages of  schools  and  colleges,  and  the  accumulated  wisdom  of  ages 
stored  in  books,  recognize  as  a  fundamental  principle  in  the  science  of 
physics. 

Returning  to  his  ship,  Scoresby  proceeded  still  northward,  and  on  the 
next  day  landed  at  what  he  named  Cape  Hope,  in  honor  of  Thomas 
Hope,  a  distinguished  writer  of  the  period.  Here  he  found  some  more 
traces  of  Esquimaux — bones  of  the  hare,  and  reindeer  horns.  The  skull 
of  a  dog  was  raised  on  a  small  mound,  it  being  a  fancy  of  this  simple  peo- 
ple that  the  dog,  who  everywhere  follows  the  footsteps  of  man,  is  the 
heaven-ordained  guide  of  deceased  children  to  the  land  of  souls.  The 
heat  was  now  so  great  that  many  of  the  plants  had  shed  their  seeds,  and 
some  were  already  shriveled  and  dead.  Scoresby  now  proceeded  home- 
ward, and  this  was  his  last  voyage  to  Arctic  seas. 

Among  his  geographical  explorations,  he  paid  some  attention  to  Jan 
Mayen  Island,  about  midway  between  Iceland  and  Spitzbergen.  This 
he  found  almost  perpetually  enveloped  in  mist,  and  its  chief  points  of  in- 
terest were  the  Beerenberg  Mountain  at  its  northern  extremity,  rising  to 
the  height  of  6,870  feet,  and  the  volcano  Esk.  Its  dreary  solitude  would 
seldom  be  disturbed  were  it  not  for  the  herds  of  seal  and  walrus  which 
frequent  its  ice-bound  shores.  Bears  and  sea-fowls  are  its  only  inhabi- 


158 


LAST  DATS   OF  SCORESBT. 


tants;  and  the  characteristic  features  of  its  landscape  are  the  seven  great 
glaciers  which  sweep  down  its  sides  to  the  water's  edge. 

When  the  failure  of  Capt.  Buchan,  in  1818,  had  again  damped  the 
ardor  of  Arctic  exploration,  and  the  impossibility  of  reaching  the  Poh 
had  begun  to  be  accepted  by  the  general  public  as  a  fact,  Scoresby  en- 
deavored to  prove  that  there  was  no  such  impossibility  as  alleged.  He 
claimed  that  a  voyage  to  the  Pole  did  not  necessarily  involve  great  diffi- 
culty or  danger.  He  pointed  out  that  the  chief  obstacle  was  the  alterna- 

• 

tion  of  ice  fields  with  open  sea;  and  proposed  that  to  meet  the  difficulty 
it  was  only  necessary  to  be  ready  to  use,  alternately,  boats  and  sledges. 
This  suggestion  attracted  attention,  and  has  since  been  acted  upon,  no 
Arctic  expedition  being  considered  fully  equipped  without  such  double 
appliances. 

Scoresby  afterward  became  a  clergyman  in  the  Church  of  England, 
receiving  the  degree  of  B.  D.  in  1834,  and  D.  D.  in  1839.  In  the  prose- 
cution of  his  researches  in  terrestrial  magnetism  in  relation  to  navigation 
he  made  a  voyage  to  the  United  States  in  1847,  and  to  Australia  in  1853. 
He  died  at  Torquay,  in  England,  in  1857.  That  portion  of  the  north 
coast  of  Greenland  which  he  explored  in  1822,  was  named  Scoresby 's 
Land,  in  his  honor. 


PART    III. 


THE  FIRST  flRETIE 
VIIYflEES  HF  THE  IBth  EENTIIHY. 


"O'er  the  glad  waters  of  the  dark  blue  sea, 
Our  thoughts  as  boundless  and  our  souls  as  free / 
Far  as  the  breeze  can  bear    the  billow's  foam, 
Survey  our  empire,  and  behold  our  home" 

— BYRON. 


"Go  forth  and  prosper,  then,  emprising  band, 
May  He  who  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand 
The  ocean  holds,  and  rules  the  whirlwind's  sweep, 
Assuage  its  wrath  and  guide  thee  on  the  deep" 

ANON. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

BUCHAN    IN    DOROTHEA  AND    TRENT DOROTHEA    NEARLY  DESTROYED 

IN    THE    ICE ISABELLA    AND    ALEXANDER    UNDER    COMMAND   OF 

ROSS    AND    PARRY ENCOUNTER     ESQUIMAUX PHENOMENON    OF 

RED      SNOW  ENTER       LANCASTER       SOUND  ROSS      ORDERS      A 

RETURN. 

Since  the  failure  of  Cook  and  Clerke  in  1776-9,  nothing  had  been 
done  by  the  British  government  toward  the  solution  of  the  problem  in 
which  the  ministry  were  so  much  interested  in  1773.  The  American 
War  of  Independence,  1775— 83,  and  the  Continental  or  French  War, 
1793-1815,  left  them  little  leisure  and  less  inclination  to  prosecute  voy- 
ages of  exploration  in  the  Arctic,  or  elsewhere.  Soon  after  peace  was 
firmly  established  by  the  Treaty  of  Vienna,  in  1815,  encouraged  by  the 
information  which  had  been,  meanwhile,  gathered  through  the  Scoresbys 
and  other  whalers,  the  ministry  resumed  the  consideration  of  geograph- 
ical and  scientific  voyages  under  the  auspices  of  the  crown. 

In  1818  two  Arctic  expeditions  were  fitted  out  to  seek  a  passage  be- 
tween the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific — the  one  by  the  north  and  east,  and 
the  other  by  the  northwest  route — each  comprising  two  vessels. 

Captain  David  Buchan  was  put  in  command  of  the  northern  expedi- 
tion, and  his  vessels  were  the  Dorothea  and  Trent,  the  latter  under  the 
immediate  command  of  Lieut.  John  Franklin,  now  better  known  under 
his  later  title  of  Sir  John  Franklin.  Buchan's  instructions  were  to  make 
due  north  for  Spitzbergen,  and  doubling  its  northernmost  headlands,  to 
sail  eastward  through  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  reach  the  Pacific  through 
'Behring's  Straits.  This  route  is  easy  to  trace  on  any  good  map,  but 
the  achievement  has  hitherto  defied  the  best  navigators.  If  the  region 
could  only  be  brought  under  the  equator  for  a  generation,  this  difficulty 
would  be  removed ;  but  the  ice,  the  impenetrable,  long  accumulating  ice, 
11  161 


162 


It  OSS  AND  PARRY. 


is  there  supreme,  and  likely  to  be  so  henceforward,  unless  some  potent 
cosmical  revolution  should  change  its  relative  position. 

On  the  3Oth  of  July  both  ships  were  caught  in  a  storm  to  the  north- 
west of  Spitzbergen,  and  the  Dorothea  was  so  much  injured  by  contact 
with  the  ice  that  it  was  thought  advisable  to  return  to  England,  and  her 
consort  accompanied  her.  This  failure,  though  free  from  serious  disaster, 
had  a  most  discouraging  effect  upon  the  public  mind. 


SIR  JOHN  ROSS. 

Meanwhile,  the  other  expedition  had  set  sail  on  the  i8th  of  April. 
It  consisted  of  two  ships,  the  Isabella  and  Alexander,  under  command  of 
Captain,  afterward  Sir  John  Ross,  with  Lieut.  William  Edward  Parry  in 
charge  of  the  Alexander.  Ross'  instructions  were  to  make  for  Davis' 
Straits  and  Baffin's  Bay,  and,  if  possible,  to  penetrate  into  the  Arctic 


DOROTHEA  AND   TRENT. 


163 


164  ASTONISHED  NATIVES. 

Ocean  by  that  route,  after  which  he  was  to  reach  the  Pacific  by  way  of 
Behring's  Straits. 

Reaching  the  west  coast  of  Greenland  they  encountered  much  ice, 
and  were  told  by  a  Danish  official  that  the  winter  had  been  exceptionally 
severe.  Beyond  Disco  Island  Ross  was  enabled  to  make  some  correc- 
tions in  the  observations  previously  made,  finding,  among  others,  an  error 
of  5°  of  longitude  in  the  location  of  Way  gat  Island  as  it  appeared  on 
the  charts  of  the  British  admiralty.  He  determined  with  greater  exact- 
ness the  northwest  coast  from  Melville  Bay  to  Smith's  Sound.  Having 
passed  Upernavik  in  72°  40',  the  most  remote  of  all  the  Danish  settle- 
ments on  this  coast,  they  were  not  a  little  surprised  when  they  encoun- 
tered some  Esquimaux  three  degrees  farther  on,  in  75Q54'.  They  had 
some  difficulty  in  striking  an  acquaintance  with  these  isolated  and  coy 
representatives  of  humanity. 

Their  astonishment  was  very  great  on  finding  that  this  people  did 
not  even  know  that  there  were  other  denizens  of  the  earth  besides 
themselves.  They  were  as  ignorant  of  the  Danish  settlements  200 
miles  away  as  of  the  Danish  and  other  nations  beyond  the  Atlantic. 
Their  idea  of  the  English  navigators  seemed  to  be  that  they  were  super- 
natural beings,  inhabitants  of  another  world.  One  of  them,  with  much 
reverence  and  solemnity,  addressed  the  moving  and  apparently  living 
ship,  asking,  "Who  are  vou?  Whence  come  you?  Is  it  from  the  sun 
or  moon?"  They  had  no  canoes,  and  seemed  to  have  no  conception  of 
the  nature  of  the  ship.  It  was  not  to  them  as  to  others  of  the  same 
race,  a  big  canoe,  but  something  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of  their  intel- 
lects to  grasp.  And  yet,  though  behind  many  of  the  aboriginal  tribes  in 
this  respect,  they  were  ahead  of  most  in  their  knowledge  of  the  use 
of  iron,  which  tends  to  show  that  the  ages  of  the  archaeologists 
are  to  be  understood  as  stages  of  progress  in  the  development  of  human- 
ity, but  by  no  means  synchronous  nor  successive  over  the  whole  earth. 
They  had  rude  knives,  the  manufacture  of  which  they  explained  in  this 
way :  They  had  found  a  huge  mass  of  it — which  the  interpreter,  per- 
haps, erroneously  translated  a  mountain,  but  which  was  probably  a 
meteoric  body — and  had  chipped  off  the  pieces  which  they  had  ham- 


CRIMSON  CLIFFS.  •  165 

mered  with  stones  into  the  shape  in  which  they  saw  them.  Ross  named 
them  the  Arctic  Highlanders. 

Pfoceeding  farther  up  the  coast,  they  entered  the  phenomenon  of  red 
snow,  which  the  great  Swiss  naturalist,  Saussure,  had  observed  in  the 
Alps  at  least  thirty  years  before,  but  which  was  none  the  less  strange  to 
our  explorers.  When  melted,  it  presented  the  appearance  of  muddy 
port  wine.  For  eight  miles  along  the  Greenland  shore  of  Baffin's  Bay 
the  cliffs  were  covered  with  this  peculiar  snow,  and  in  some  places  to  the 
depth  of  twelve  feet.  In  1819,  some  months  after  their  return  to  Eng- 
land, the  coloring  matter  of  the  red  snow  was  subjected  to  careful  analy- 
sis by  Robert  Brown  and  Francis  Bauer,  who,  however,  differed  slightly 
in  opinion.  Brown  pronounced  it  a  one-cell  plant  of  the  sea-weed  order; 
Bauer  named  it  the  snow-uredo,  a  species  of  fungus.  Afterward  Baron 
Wrangell,  the  Russian  explorer,  declared  it  to  be  a  lichen.  Later  still, 
Bishop  Agardh,  the  Swedish  naturalist,  and  Dr.  Robert  Kaye  Greville, 
a  famous  British  botanist  of  Edinburgh,  have  given  the  weight  of  their 
recognized  authority  in  support  of  the  opinion  of  Brown.  .These  have 
been  followed  by  several  other  scientists,  and  the  minute  plant  is  now 
scientifically  known  as  the  palmella  nivalis,  a  little  snow-palm,  given  it 
by  Sir  William  Hooker.  The  motions  of  this  microscopic  object  in  the 
earlier  stages  of  its  existence  have  led  some  eminent  naturalists  to  regard 
the  coloring  matter  in  red  snow  as  animalculae,  not  plants.  And  it  is 
not  impossible  that  such  may  have  been  observed ;  but  the  essential  char- 
acter of  the  object  is  vegetable.  In  its  mature  state  it  consists  of  brilliant 
globules  like  fine  garnets,  seated  on,  but  not  immersed,  in  a  gelatinous 
mass.  Saussure  had  rightly  conjectured  that  the  red  color  was  owing  to 
the  presence  of  some  vegetable  substance,  but  wrong  in  supposing  it  to 
be  the  pollen  of  a  plant. 

Captain  Ross  was  an  experienced  naval  commander,  having  been  in 
active  service  in  the  Continental  War,  but  he  was  somewhat  opinionated 
in  this  his  first  Arctic  voyage,  and  inclined  to  follow  the  old  school.  He 
decided  by  his  personal  opinions  questions  of  geography  which  required 
to  be  ascertained,  not  prejudged,  and  to  which  a  little  actual  investiga- 
tion would  have  furnished  a  different  answer.  He  sailed  by  Wolsten- 


166  CROKER'S  MOUNTAINS. 

holm,  Whale  and  Smith  Sounds  without  deigning  to  examine  them, 
arbitrarily  declaring  them  to  be  bays^  the  heads  of  which  he  thought 
were  visible  in  the  distance.  But  a  worse  mistake  of  the  same  kind  was 
still  to  be  made  by  the  otherwise  blameless  Captain  Ross.  Passing  to 
the  west  side  of  Baffin's  Bay,  the  sea  was  found  clear  of  ice,  and  the  land 
free  from  snow,  except  on  the  distant  mountain  ranges.  The  tempera- 
ture rose,  and  the  chance  was  favorable  for  achieving  some  great  result. 
On  the  29th  of  August  the  ships  entered  Lancaster  Sound,  so  named  by 
Baffin  in  honor  of  a  distinguished  English  navigator  in  other  seas,  but 
who  had  always  shown  great  interest  in  the  discovery  of  the  Northwest 
Passage,  and  had  made  a  collection  of  documents  tending  to  prove  its 
feasibility. 

Into  this  spacious  sound,  nearly  fifty  miles  wide  at  its  eastern 
entrance,  now  passed  the  ships  of  Captain  Ross,  but  they  had  advanced 
only  thirty  miles  when,  to  the  wonder  and  disappointment  of  officers  and 
men,  he  ordered  the  vessels  to  turn  back.  Deceived  by  refraction  or 
some  atmospheric  illusion,  he  thought  he  had  seen  a  mountain  range  at 
a  distance  of  about  twenty-five  miles  ahead,  which  he  inferred  was  the 
head  of  the  bay,  and  which  he  even  named  Croker's  Mountains,  in 
honor  of  John  Wilson  Croker,  then  at  the  height  of  his  fame.  It  is  but 
justice  to  the  memory  of  Ross  to  remind  the  reader  that  though  the  body  of 
water  in  question,  as  well  as  the  more  northern  ones  known  as  Jones' 
and  Smith's  Sounds,  had  been  discovered  and  named  by  Baffin,  it  had  not 
been  yet  ascertained  that  they  were  sounds.  It  was,  however,  a  ques- 
tion that  had  been  discussed,  and  opinions  were  divided.  Some  of  Ross' 
own  officers  believed  that  this  water  in  which  they  were  was  a  channel 
communicating  with  a  larger  body  or  sea  to  the  west,  if  not  with  the 
Arctic  Ocean  itself;  and  his  error  consisted  in  not  making  the  test  when 
circumstances  were  favorable. 

Passing  down  Baffin's  Bay  along  its  southern  coast,  of  which 
but  little  was  known,  he  failed  to  explore  it;  and  reaching  Cum- 
berland Sound  he  exhibited  the  same  fatal  indifference.  The 
aggravation  of  the  unconscious  offense  lay  in  the  fact  that  the  season 
was  an  exceptionally  favorable  one  for  making  a  thorough  examination 


If  OSS   ORDERS  A   RETURN. 


167 


of  that  coast.  For,  notwithstanding  what  he  had  been  told  by  the  Danish 
commandant  some  months  before,  the  fact  was  that  up  to  that  time 
Baffin's  Bay  had  not  been  so  open  for  exploration.  Here  again  his  inex- 
perience of  northern  latitudes  put  him  at  a-  disadvantage.  They  left 
Cumberland  Sound  for  England  early  in  October,  and  arrived  in  safety, 
without  having  effected  anything  of  consequence,  and  added  to  the  gen- 
eral discouragement  created  by  the  more  excusable  failure  of  Buchan. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

FIRST     VOYAGE    OF    PARRY OBJECT    OF    THE     VOYAGE ENTER     THE 

ARCTIC    CIRCLE BESET    IN    THE    ICE REACH    POSSESSION    BAY- 
PRINCE    REGENT    INLET    NAMED CAPE    YORK. 

Among  those  who  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  Lancaster  Sound 
opened  into  a  larger  body  to  the  west,  and  perhaps  communicated  with 
the  Arctic  Ocean,  was  Lieutenant  Parry,  second  in  command  to  Ross. 
He  had  entered  the  navy  in  1803,  while  yet  a  lad,  having  been  born 
Dec.  19,  1790.  He  devoted  his  spare  time  on  board  to  self-educa- 
tion, and  especially  to  the  mastering  of  the  nautical  and  astronomical  sci- 
ence of  his  day.  He  received  his  commission  of  lieutenant  in  1810,  and 
was  given  command  of  a  vessel  to  the  Arctic  regions  for  the  double  pur- 
pose of  affording  protection  to  British  whalers,  and  perfecting  the  admi- 
ralty charts  of  those  seas.  In  1813  he  was  recalled  and  sent  to  join  the 
British  fleet  then  blockading  the  ports  of  the  United  States,  and  after  the 
war,  continued  attached  to  the  North  American  squadron  till  1817. 
While  with  Ross  in  1818,  he  was  impressed  with  the  great  depth  and 
high  temperature  of  the  water  in  Lancaster  Sound,  and  was  dissatisfied 
with  the  conclusion  ai'rived  at  by  his  chief.  Though  modest  in  the  ex- 
pression of  his  dissent,  it  reached  the  ears  of  the  ministry,  and  to  him 
was  now  intrusted  an  expedition  to  go  over  the  same  ground.  Though 
the  general  public  had  about  given  up  all  hope  of  a  Northwest  Passage 
being  ever  found,  the  leaders  of  thought,  and  the  authorities,  as  well  as 
Parry  and  some  other  of  Ross'  officers,  were  not  disposed  to  give  up 
the  search  until  Lancaster  Sound,  at  least,  had  been  properly  explored. 

The  new  expedition,  like  so  many  others  of  the  recent  ones,  con- 
sisted of  two  ships — the  Hecla  of  375,  and  the  Griper  of  180  tons  burden. 
Both  were  victualed  for  two  years  and  amply  provided  with  stores  of 

all    kinds,  including    canned    meats    and    extra   clothing  for    the    men. 

168 


BEAR  KILLED. 


169 


Though  the  main  object  of  the  voyage  was  to  search  for  the  Northwest 
Passage,  and  especially  through  Lancaster  Sound,  yet  any  new  informa- 
tion that  could  be  gleaned  in  relation  to  geography,  natural  history,  me- 
teorology or  other  science,  was  to  be  carefully  noted  and  preserved. 
After  passing  latitude  65°,  they  were  to  throw  overboard  from  time  to 
time  a  sealed  bottle,  containing  a  record  of  the  date  and  position  where 
it  had  been  consigned  to  the  deep.  And  wherever  they  should  land 
on  the  coast  of  North  America  they  were  to  erect  a  flag-staff,  hoist  the 
union  jack,  and  deposit  at  the 
foot  a  record  of  what  they  had 
achieved,  and  their  future  inten- 
tions, in  a  similar  sealed  bottle. 

Parry's  expedition  left  London 
May  5,  1819,  but  did  not  clear 
the  Orkney  Islands  until  the  2Oth. 
On  the  3Oth  they  took  soundings 
for  the  alleged  "  Sunken  Land  of 
Buss,"  on  the  direct  route  to 
Greenland,  but  failed  to  find  any 
evidence  of  its  existence.  On 
the  1 5th  of  June  they  sighted 
Cape  Farewell,  but  at  the  dis- 
tance of  perhaps  120  miles.  On 
the  1 8th  thev  encountered  the 

•/ 

first  ice  stream  of  floating  ice,  and  saw  several  icebergs.  They 
noticed  several  kinds  of  sea  fowls  and  in  greater  numbers  than 
usual,  and  found  the  water  3°  lower  in  temperature,  and  of  a  dirty 
brownish  tinge.  On  the  24th  the  ice  was  seen  extending  clear  to 
the  western  horizon;  and  on  the  25th  they  were  towed  slowly  along 
by  their  boats  through  the  ice-floe.  An  easterly  wind  now  closed 
the  ice  around  them  so  that  they  were  forced  to  desist  from  their  rowing; 
and  the  vessels  remained  ice-locked  until  the  29th,  making  such  progress 
as  the  ice  made,  and  no  more. 

They  saw  a  whale  and  a  bear,  the  latter  of  which  they  killed,  but  the 


SIR   WILLIAM    EDWARO    PARRY. 


170  ENGAGED  IN  ICE. 

living  and  the  dead  disappeared  beneath  the  ice.  On  the  3Oth,  after 
eight  hours  of  incessant  labor,  they  were  enabled  to  work  the  ships  into 
clear  water  to  the  east.  They  skirted  these  ice-packs  for  three  days 
looking  in  vain  for  an  opening  to  the  west  side  of  Davis'  Strait;  and  in 
constant  danger  of  being  driven  into  the  ice  by  the  east  wind.  On  the 
3d  of  July  they  entered  within  the  Arctic  Circle  off  the  northern  penin- 
sula of  Cumberland,  having  passed  not  less  than  fifty  icebergs  during 
the  day.  Toward  midnight  a  chain  of  icebergs  appeared  to  the  north, 
and  the  wind  dying  down,  the  ships  were  in  imminent  danger  of  coming 
into  close  quarters  with  them,  being  carried  forward  by  a  southerly  swell, 
and  unable  to  change  their  direction  in  the  calm.  By  putting  out  their 
boats  they  succeeded  in  towing  back  the  Hecla,  which  was  ahead,  into 
open  water,  and  out  of  the  way  of  the  icebergs  on  the  morning  of  the 
4th,  and  at  noon  were  in  the  middle  of  Davis'  Straits,  with  the  ice  to 
the  westward.  A  clay  or  two  later  they  killed  a  walrus,  and  saved  its 
blubber  for  lamp-oil.  On  the  tenth  they  killed  a  bear  and  succeeded  in 
getting  it  aboard.  On  the  i  yth  they  took  the  ice,  that  is  they  sailed  into 
it,  in  order  to  keep  as  close  to  the  westward  as  possible,  the  commander 
being  still  bent  on  not  going  too  far  from  that  side  of  the  strait.  They 
succeeded  in  getting  twelve  miles,  when,  on  the  iSth,  they  encountered 
a  body  of  ice  right  across  their  bows.  This  they  attempted  to  bore,  or 
push  through,  but  the  wind  not  being  favorable,  they  stuck  fast  after 
having  penetrated  it  about  300  feet. 

For  five  hours  they  labored,  hither  and  thither,  backward  and 
forward,  before  they  could  succeed  in  crossing  this  ice-belt  of  only 
300  yards'  width.  The  fog  by  which  they  had  been  long  beset 
having  lifted  on  the  2ist,  they  descried  on  the  distant  coast  of 
Greenland,  the  headland  just  south  of  Upernavik,  and  which  Davis 
had  named  Sanderson's  Hope,  in  1587.  The  commander  again  grow- 
ing uneasy  at  the  distance  he  was  compelled  to  keep  from  the 
western  shore  of  Baffin's  Bay,  determined  to  make  another  effort 
to  push  through  the  ice  to  the  west.  The  struggle  so  bravely 
entered  on,  lasted  seven  days,  and  after  prodigies  of  endurance  and 
long-continued  exertions,  sometimes  lasting  without  intermission  for 


DISAPPEARANCE   OF  CROKEIPS  MOUNTAINS.  171 

eleven  hours  at  a  stretch,  by  backing  and  towing,  sawing  through 
the  ice-packs,  and  other  devices,  they  succeeded  in  getting  into 
clear  water  on  the  western  shore  of  Baffin's  Bay.  They  had  traversed 
eighty  miles  of  almost  continuous  ice-floe  from  about  the  middle  of  the 
bay,  which  they  had  left  on  the  22d,  and  now,  at  six  o'clock  on  the  29th, 
they  found  themselves  sailing  in  an  open  sea,  free  from  all  obstructions. 
Here  they  saw  not  less  than  eighty-two  whales  in  a  single  day.  The 
sea  was  deep — they  were  unable  to  reach  bottom  with  a  line  of  310 
fathoms;  the  temperature  of  the  water  was  found  six  degrees  higher, 
and  they  soon  came  in  sight  of  land. 

On  the  last  day  of  July,  1819,  the  commander  and  a  few  of  his  men 
went  ashore  in  Possession  Bay,  where  on  the  previous  year  Capt.  Ross 
had  raised  a  flag-staff.  This  they  found  uninjured,  and  the  tracks  made 
in  putting  it  up,  uneffaced,  whence  they  inferred  that  it  had  remained 
unvisited  since  its  erection.  A  small  party  was  detached  a  short  dis- 
tance to  ascertain  if  the  land  was  a  wood-bearing  one,  as  had  been 
claimed  because  of  some  birch-bark  picked  up  on  the  previous  voyage, 
but  no  trace  of  wood  could  be  discovered.  Appointing  a  rendezvous  with 
Liddon  in  case  the  vessels  became  separated,  Parry  now  prepared  to 
push  forward  in  the  Hecla  as  rapidly  as  possible.  The  wind  becoming 
favorable  Aug.  3,  they  crowded  sail  and  sped  rapidly  through  Lancaster 
Sound.  "It  is  more  easy  to  imagine  than  describe,"  says  Parry,  "the  al- 
most breathless  anxiety  which  was  now  visible  in  every  countenance, 
while  as  the  breeze  increased  to  a  fresh  gale,  we  ran  quickly  up  the 
sound.  The  mast  heads  were  crowded  by  the  officers  and  men  during 
the  whole  afternoon;  and  an  unconcerned  observer,  if  any  could  have 
been  unconcerned  on  such  an  occasion,  would  have  been  amused  by  the 
eagerness  with  which  the  various  reports  from  the  crow's  nest  were  re- 
ceived; all,  however,  hitherto  favorable  to  our  most  sanguine  hopes." 

Before  night  they  had  passed  the  point  reached  the  previous  year ;  and 
soon  attained  longitude  83  °  12',  with  the  channel  about  forty  miles 
wide,  and  as  deep  as  at  the  entrance.  The  water  had  the  color  of  the 
ocean,  with  a  perceptible  swell  from'  the  south  and  east.  They  saw  noth- 
ing of  Croker's  Mountains  which  thenceforth  disappeared  from  geo- 


172  CAPE   TORK. 

graphical  nomenclature.  They  began  to  imagine  they  had  already 
reached  the  open  polar  sea,  and  were  on  the  very  eve  of  solving  the 
double  problem  of  finding  the  Northwest  Passage  and  the  Pole.  They 
were  soon  undeceived,  for  though  the  fancied  mountains  had  disappeared, 
they  encountered  a  very  real  obstacle  in  an  ice-pack.  To  the  south  they 
observed  an  opening  thirty  miles  wide,  which  they  entered  in  the  hope 
of  still  pushing  westward.  In  this,  however,  they  were  disappointed, 
finding  themselves  in  what  Parry  named  Prince  Regent  Inlet,  which, 
with  its  wide  continuation,  the  Gulf  of  Boothia,  stretched  away  to  the 
south,  some  450  miles.  In  descending  the  inlet  the  ships'  compasses 
lost  their  wonted  energy,  and  they  witnessed  for  the  first  time  "the  cu- 
rious phenomenon  of  the  directive  power  of  the  needle  becoming  so 
weak  as  to  be  completely  overcome  by  the  attraction  of  the  ship;  so 
that  the  needle  might  now  be  properly  said  to  point  to  the  north  pole  of 
the  ship." 

They  sailed  through  the  inlet  to  where  it  widened  into  the  gulf  already 
mentioned,  and  finding  the  northwest  corner,  which  was  the  direction 
they  sought  to  take,  blocked  by  an  impenetrable  ice-barrier,  they  re- 
traced their  course.  On  the  I3th  they  discovered  on  the  east  shore  of 
the  inlet  a  harbor  one  mile  wide  and  three  deep,  which  they  named 
Port  Bowen.  The  narwals  were  here  found  in  great  numbers,  and  also 
dovekies  and  ducks.  They  landed  on  what  Parry  describes  as  the  most 
barren  spot  he  had  ever  seen.  Being  here  detained  two  days  by  the  ice, 
they  made  some  slight  exploration  of  the  barren  coast,  and  deposited  on 
a  little  hillock  a  record-bottle,  which  they  covered  with  a  pile  of  schis- 
tose limestone.  Of  this  there  was  an  abundance,  but  there  was  neither 
soil  nor  vegetation  to  be  found.  On  the  lyth  they  reached  the  head- 
land at  the  northeastern  point  of  the  junction  of  Prince  Regent  Inlet 
with  Lancaster  Sound,  to  which  Parry  gave  the  name  of  Cape  York. 
At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  the  1 8th,  after  beating  around  for  several 
hours  among  ice-floes,  they  reached  clear  water  near  the  north  shore  of 
Lancaster  Sound.  In  a  few  days  they  found  the  channel  so  clear  of  ice 
that  it  was  impossible  to  believe  it  to  be  the  same  part  of  the  sea,  which 
but  a  day  or  two  before  had  been  completely  covered  with  floes  to  the 


ESQUIMAUX  HUTS.  173 

utmost  extent  of  our  view."  Here  they  picked  up  a  spar  which  a  sea- 
man had  dropped  overboard  some  two  weeks  before,  indicating  the 
absence  of  current  and  the  extent  of  their  digression. 

Entering  the  continuation  of  Lancaster  Sound,  to  which  Parry  gave 
the  name  of  Barrow.  Strait,  in  honor  of  Sir  John  Barrow,  second  lord 
of  the  admiralty,  they  passed  Beechey  Island,  Cape  Hotham  and  Cape 
Bowden.  On  the22d  of  August,  in  longitude  92°  15',  they  saw  an  inlet 
about  twenty-five  miles  in  width,  which  opened  to  the  north,  and  in 
which  they  could  see  neither  land  nor  ice  from  the  masthead.  To  this 
Parry  gave  the  name  of  Wellington  Channel;  and  this  break  in  the  con- 
tinuity of  the  coast  on  that  side  had  the  effect  of  making  him  think  that 
he  "  had  actually  entered  the  Polar  Sea.  Though  two-thirds  of  the 
month  of  August  had  now  elapsed,  I  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied," 
he  says,  "  with  the  progress  we  had  hitherto  made.  I  calculated  upon 
the  sea  being  navigable  for  six  weeks  to  come,  and  probably  more,  if  the 
state  of  the  ice  would  permit  us  to  edge  away  to  the  southward  in  our 
progress  westerly.  Our  prospects,  indeed,  were  truly  exhilarating;  the 
ships  had  suffered  no  injury;  we  had  plenty  of  provisions ;  crews  in  high 
health  and  spirits;  a  sea,  if  not  open,  at  least  navigable;  and  a  zealous 
and  unanimous  determination,  in  both  officers  and  men,  to  acoomplish  by 
all  possible  means  the  grand  object  on  which  we  had  the  happiness  to  be 
employed." 

Still  sailing  westward  through  Barrow's  Strait  along  the  south  coast  of 
Cornwallis  Island,  they  reached  Griffith,  now  Bathurst  Island.  The 
former  has  since  been  ascertained  to  be  a  peninsula  of  the  latter,  but  they 
were  supposed  at  this  time  to  be  distinct  islands.  Here  they  found  traces 
of  an  Esquimaux  encampment,  which  Captain  Sabine  examined  with 
care.  He  found  six  huts  "  on  a  level,  sandy  bank,  at  the  side  of  a  small 
ravine  near  the  sea,"  and  constructed  "  of  stones  rudely  placed  in  a  cir- 
cular or  ellipt-ical  form.  They  were  from  seven  to  ten  feet  in  diameter; 
the  broad,  flat  sides  of  the  stones  standing  vertically,  and  the  whole 
structure,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  being  exactly  similar  to  that  of  the 
summer  huts  of  the  Esquimaux  which  we  had  seen  at  Hare  Island  the 
preceding  year.  Attached  to  each  of  them  was  a  smaller  circle,  generally 


174  MEN  LOST. 

four  or  five  feet  in  diameter,  which  had  probably  been  the  fireplace. 
The  small  circles  were  placed  indifferently  as  to  their  direction  from  the 
huts  to  which  t-hey  belonged ;  and  from  the  moss  and  sand  which  covered 
some  of  the  stones,  particularly  those  which  composed  the  flooring  of  the 
huts,  the  whole  encampment  appeared  to  have  been  deserted  for  several 
years." 

The  magnetic  observations  made  here,  compared  with  those  of  Prince 
Regent  Inlet,  already  noted,  "  led  to  the  conclusion,"  says  Edward  Sa- 
bine,  the  mathematician  of  the  expedition,  "that  we  had  in  sailing  over  the 
space  included  between  the  two  meridians,  crossed  immediately  to  the 
northward  of  the  magnetic  pole,  and  had  undoubtedly  passed  over  one  of 
those  spots  upon  the  globe  where  the  needle  would  have  been  found  to 
vary  180°,  or,  in  other  words,  where  its  north  pole  would  have  pointed 
due  south.  This  spot  would,  in  all  probability,  at  this  time  be  somewhere 
not  far  from  the  meridian  of  100?  west  of  Greenwich." 

Continuing  their  voyage  to  the  westward,  without  diverging  to  the 
south  in  the  wide  expanse  of  Melville  Sound,  they  skirted  the  coast  of  a 
yet  larger  island,  which  Parry  named  Melville  Island.  On  the  4th  of 
September  they  passed  longitude  no?  west,  thus  becoming  entitled  to 
the  reward  of  £5,000  offered  by  order  of  council  "  to  such  of  His 
Majesty's  subjects  as  might  succeed  in  penetrating  thus  far  to  the  west, 
within  the  Arctic  Circle."  They  named  the  neighboring  headland 
Bounty  Cape,  and  continued  their  course  to  the  westward.  Checked  by 
the  ice,  they  made  several  excursions  on  shore  in  search  of  game,  and  for 
purposes  of  exploration,  from  the  8th  to  the  I3th.  In  one  of  these, 
seven  of  the  men  got  lost,  and  afterward  separated  into  two  sections  of 
three  and  four.  The  four  returned  in  three  days,  being  guided  by  a  flag- 
staff which  the  commander  had  ordered  raised  for  that  purpose;  and  the 
other  three  after  an  absence  of  ninety-one  hours.  Relavs  of  search 
parties  were  sent  out,  day  after  day ;  and  all  the  wanderers  were  finally 
brought  safely  to  the  ships.  By  the  care  and  attention  of  their  comrades 
and  the  medical  staff,  they  soon  recovered  from  their  exhaustion. 

On  the  2Oth  a  council  of  officers  was  held,  who  concurred  with  the 
commander  in  the  opinion  that,  as  the  ice  continued  to  close  in  upon  them, 


WINTER  QUARTERS.  175 

and  there  was  but  little  prospect  of  making  any  headway  to  the  west,  it 
was  time  to  seek  for  winter  quarters.  Two  days  later  they  retraced  their 
course,  and  began  to  make  their  way  slowly  eastward,  to  Bounty  Cape. 
They  had  previously  named  a  neighboring  inlet  the  Bay  of  the  Hecla 
and  Griper,  and  here  they  now  determined  to  seek  refuge.  To  reach 
the  head  of  the  bay  they  had  to  cut  a  canal  nearly  two  and  one-third 
miles  through  the  new  ice,  the  average  thickness  of  which  was  seven 
inches.  This  they  effected  in  three  days,  and  at  a  quarter-past  three 
o'clock  on  Sunday,  September  26,  they  had  reached  their  moorings  in 
what  they  named  Winter  Harbor,  in  longitude  110°  48'  2"  west,  and 
latitude  74°  47'.  Hereupon  the  men  cheered  lustily,  and  with  some 
reason,  as  they  were  now  relatively  safe.  The  ships  floated  in  a  land- 
locked harbor  in  five  fathoms  of  water  and  at  a  cable's  length  from  the 
land,  where  the  ice-floe  could  not  imperil  them.  And  yet  one  can  hardly 
refrain  from  reflecting  what  a  dreary  refuge  it  was  over  which  they 
rejoiced. 

But  human  joy  is  always  a  matter  rather  of  comparative  than 
absolute  comfort.  These  men  were  on  the  eve  of  an  Arctic  winter  of 
perhaps  nine  months'  duration,  and  during  three  of  these  they  were  to 
be  bereft  of  sunlight;  and  yet  they  make  the  welkin  ring  with  their 
cheers !  Were  they  seeking  to  find  relief  from  the  heart-sickening  which 
the  situation  was  so  well  calculated  to  produce?  More  probably  the 
sense  of  having  conquered  the  sea  and  the  ice,  and  asserted  once  again 
the  human  prerogative  of  subduing  adverse  circumstances,  naturally 
awakened  this  gleam  of  exultation.  Some  time  before,  Parry  had  given 
expression  to  a  sentiment  which  no  doubt  had  its  influence  on  this  occa- 
tion:  "It  created  in  us  no  ordinary  feelings  of  pleasure,"  says  he,  "to  see 
the  British  flag  waving  for  the  first  time  in  these  regions,  which  had 
been  hitherto  considered  beyond  the  limits  of  the  habitable  world." 


CHAPTER    XX. 

TRIALS    AND    PASTIMES    OF    AN    ARCTIC     WINTKR HEALTH    REGULA- 
TIONS  AN    ARCTIC     NEWSPAPER AN    ARCTIC    THEATER DAILY 

OCCUPATIONS TOTAL    ABSENCE    OF    THE    SUN THE   APPEARANCE 

OF    SCURVY MOCK    SUNS MORE     THEATRICALS EXTRACT    FROM 

AN    ARCTIC   JOURNAL A    SHOWER    OF    RAIN. 

No  time  was  lost;  the  security  of  the  ships  and  the  preservation  of 
the  stores  and  provisions  received  prompt  attention.  The  vessels  were 
unrigged,  and  partially  dismasted;  the  lower  yards  were  lashed  fore  and 
aft,  to  support  the  planks  which  were  to  constitute  the  outer  shell  of  an 
extemporized  house  on  shipboard.  Boats,  spars,  sails,  ropes,  and  every- 
thing not  likely  to  be  needed  were  stored  away  on  shore,  and  the  house 
on  each  ship  was  covered  with  a  cloth  by  way  of  roof.  Parry  next  gave 
his  attention  to  providing  every  possible  safeguard  against  sickness.  For- 
tunately the  men  had  hitherto  shown  no  symptoms  of  that  scourge  of 
seamen,  the  scurvy;  and  it  was  of  the  utmost  importance  to  anticipate 
its  approach  by  the  use  of  all  known  preventives  that  were  accessible. 
The  first  care  was  directed  toward  utilizing  the  heat  from  the  galley- 
range  and  copper-boilers  of  the  ships,  and  by  some  ingenious  but  simple 
contrivances  this  was  made  to  warm  the  sleeping  berths  of  the  men.  A 
large  stone  oven,  cased  with  cast  iron,  used  for  baking  their  bread,  was 
placed  in  the  main  hatchway,  and  the  pipe  carried  fore  and  aft  on  the 
lower  deck,  the  smoke  ascending  through  the  forward  hatchway.  With 
an  ordinary  fire  and  these  appliances  they  were  able  to  secure  a  temper- 
ature of  87  °  Fahrenheit,  at  a  distance  of  seventeen  feet  from  the  fire- 
place. The  steam  from  the  coppers  was  intercepted  on  a  curtain  of 
dreadnaught  reaching  to  within  eighteen  inches  of  the  deck,  which  suf- 
fered the  heat  to  pass  beyond,  while  the  steam  was  condensed  into  water 
on  the  hanging  cloth.  Provision  was  made  for  the  distribution  of  sufri- 

176 


ARCTIC  JOURNALISM.  177 

cient  food,  but  reduced  one-third  from  the  stated  allowance.  The  daily 
ration  of  lime-juice  and  sugar  mixed  together,  and  with  a  proper  quantity 
of  water,  was  drank  in  presence  of  an  officer,  to  insure  compliance  with 
this  precautionary  regulation  of  the  commander.  Once  a  week  the  med- 
ical staff  examined  the  men  for  symptoms  of  scurvy. 

Parties  were  sent  out  to  hunt,  who  at  first  found  an  abundance  of 
grouse  and  reindeer,  but  before  the  close  of  October  these  had  all  migra- 
ted from  Melville  Island;  but  wolves  and  foxes  remained  all  winter. 
This  fresh  meat,  when  obtainable,  was  served  instead  of  the  regular 
rations,  to  insure  its  consumption ;  for,  although  often  less  palatable,  it  was 
more  wholesome.  To  promote  contentment  among  the  men,  no  par- 
tiality in  quantity  or  quality  of  food  of  any  kind  was  shown  to  officers. 
During  the  day  the  men  were  employed  in  banking  up  the  ship  with 
snow,  and  when  this  resource  was  exhausted  they  were  sent  on  short 
excursions  inland  and  along  shore  for  sake  of  exercise.  In  bad  weather 
they  were  marched  around  the  deck  to  the  time  of  a  barrel  organ. 

Recognizing  the  value  of  hygienic  cheerfulness  and  laughter,  the 
commander,  in  concert  with  his  principal  officers,  now  projected  a  series 
of  theatrical  representations,  at  intervals  of  about  two  weeks.  "  In  these 
amusements,"  says  Parry,  "  I  gladly  undertook  a  part  myself,  consider- 
ing that  an  example  of  cheerfulness,  by  giving  direct  countenance  to 
everything  that  could  contribute  to  it,  was  not  the  least  essential  part  of 
my  duty,  under  the  peculiar  circumstances  under  which  we  \vere  placed. 

"  In  order  stilT  farther  to  promote  good  humor  among  ourselves,  as 
well  as  to  furnish  amusing  occupation  during  the  hours  of  constant  dark- 
ness, we  set  on  foot  a  weekly  newspaper,  which  was  to  be  called  the 
'North  Georgia  Gazette'  (he  had  named  the  islands  now  best  known  by 
his  name,  the  North  Georgian  Islands)  and  *  Winter  Chronicle,'  and  of 
which  Capt.  Sabine  undertook  to  be  the  editor,  under  the  promise  that  it 
was  to  be  supported  by  original  contributions  from  the  officers  of  the 
two  ships;  and  I  can  safely  say  that  the  weekly  contributions  had  the 
happy  effect  of  employing  the  leisure  hours  of  those  who  furnished  theni, 
and  diverting  the  mind  from  the  gloomy  prospect  which  would  sometimes 
obtrude  itself  on  the  stoutest  heart." 


178  DAILY  OCCUPATIONS. 

Meanwhile  Capt.  Sabine  had  erected  an  observatory  about  700  yards 
to  the  west  of  the  ships,  and  a  house  for  the  instruments,  made  with  a 
double  sheeting  of  planks.  The  intervening  space  being  packed  with 
moss,  this  house  could  be  kept  comfortably  warm  in  the  worst  weather 
by  a  single  stove.  They  had  expected  to  make  important  observations 
on  the  4th  of  November,  the  last  day  of  the  sun's  appearance  above 
the  horizon;  but  the  weather  was  too  foggy,  and  they  were  unable  to 
calculate  the  amount  of  refraction  as  anticipated.  On  the  5th  they  pre- 
sented to  an  admiring  and  enthusiastic  audience  their  first  play,  "  A  Miss 
in  Her  Teens,"  which  was  loudly  applauded.  Besides  affording  the  antici- 
pated amusement  to  the  men,  it  was  found  that  putting  the  play  on  the 
boards,  as  well  as  running  the  machinery  and  properties  afterward, 
afforded  pleasant  and  exhilarating  occupation  to  a  number  of  them, 
which,  perhaps,  was  not  the  least  beneficial  result  of  the  original  design. 
The  commander  wisely  "•  dreaded  the  want  of  employment  as  one  of  the 
worst  evils  that  was  likely  to  befall  them." 

In  pursuance  of  this  idea  the  men  were  so  busily  engaged  that  they 
complained  of  not  finding  time  to  mend  their  clothes,  whereupon  the 
commander  set  apart  one  afternoon  in  each  week  for  that  purpose.  "  The 
officers  and  quartermasters  were  divided  into  four  watches,  which  were 
regularly  kept  as  at  sea,  while  the  remainder  of  the  ship's  company 
were  allowed  to  enjoy  their  night's  rest  undisturbed.  The  hands  were 
turned  up  at  a  quarter  before  six,  and  both  decks  were  well  rubbed  with 
stones  and  warm  sand  before  eight  o'clock,  at  which  time,  as  usual  at 
sea,  both  officers  and  men  went  to  breakfast.  Three-quarters  of  an  hour 
being  allowed  after  breakfast  for  the  men  to  prepare  themselves  for  mus- 
ter, we  then  beat  to  divisions  punctually  at  a  quarter-past  nine,  when 
every  person  on  board  attended  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  a  strict  inspec- 
tion of  the  men  took  place  as  to  their  personal  cleanliness,  and  the  good 
condition  as  well  as  warmth  of  their  clothing." 

While  the  commander  examined  the  lower  deck  and  visited  the 
sick,  those  he  had  left,  occupied  themselves  with  a  walk  or  run 
about  the  vessel;  and  on  his  return  were  dismissed  for  a  trip 
ashore  until  noon.  These  stated  walks  afforded  no  amusement 


TWILIGHT  AT  NOON.    .  179 

and  but  little  interest.  The  dreary  sameness  of  the  scene,  the 
silent  and  unchanging  landscape,  the  glaring  ice  and  snow,  could  not 
prove  otherwise  than  monotonous.  It  was,  however,  much  better  than 
sitting  still  and  moping;  its  recurrence  served  to  arrest  attention,  and  its 
execution  afforded  the  gratification  of  a  duty  performed.  "  We  had 
frequent  occasion,"  says  Parry,  "  in  our  walks  on  shore  to  remark  the 
deception  which  takes  place  in  estimating  the  distance  and  magnitude  of 
objects  when  viewed  over  an  unvaried  surface  of  snow.  It  was  not  un- 
common for  us  to  direct  our  steps  toward  what  we  took  for  a  large  mass 
of  stone  at  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  from  us,  but  which  we  were  able  to 
take  up  in  our  hands  after  one  minute's  walk.  This  was  more  particu- 
larly the  case  when  ascending  the  brow  of  a  hill,  nor  did  we  find  that 
the  deception  became  less  on  account  of  the  frequency  with  which  we 
experienced  its  effects." 

The  afternoons  were  devoted  by  the  men  to  making  the  plaited  cords 
or  gaskets  used. in  furling  sails,  or  similar  shipwork.  At  six  they  were 
again  summoned  for  general  inspection,  after  which  they  took  supper, 
and  then  amused  themselves  as  best  they  might  with  various  games 
until  nine  o'clock,  when  they  went  to  bed.  The  watch  visited  the  lower 
deck  every  half-hour  to  see  that  all  was  safe ;  and  to  be  ready,  should 
fire  break  out,  a  hole  was  cut  twice  a  day  in  the  ice  near  each  ship.  On 
Sundays  divine  service  was  regularly-  held  on  each  ship,  and  a  sermon 
read.  These  religious  exercises,  aside  from  their  ordinary  salutary  effects 
on  the  human  mind  and  conduct,  are  recognized  as  of  special  potency  in 
tranquilizing  the  spirits  and  sustaining  the  courage  of  large  bodies  of 
men  in  difficult  situations. 

Though  they  were  now  in  continuous  "  night,"  it  should  be  noted  that 
each  day  about  noon  they  enjoyed  a  considerable  twilight  for  about  two 
hours,  sufficient  not  only  to  enable  them  to  take  their  accustomed  walk 
with  comfort,  but  even  to  read  ordinary  type  without  artificial  light. 
Nor  even  on  the  shortest  day,  the  22d  of  December,  were  they  entirely 
deprived  of  this  twilight;  for  Parry  particularly  mentions  that  he  was 
able  to  read  for  a  short  time  on  that  day,  but  it  was  necessary  to  hold  the 
printed  page  directly  toward  the  south.  Indeed,  the  use  of  the  word 


180  A    WELCOME    VISITOR. 

night  in  this  connection  is  liable  to  convey  a  wrong  impression.  The 
reflection  of  light  from  the  snow  and  the  moonlight  were  sufficient  even 
in  the  thickest  weather  to  dispel  the  feeling  of  gloom  that  accompanies 
a  dark  night  in  temperate  zones.  They  observed  Christmas  on  board 
with  as  near  an  approach  as  possible  to  the  customs  of  their  country, 
and  the  playwrights  and  actors  prepared  and  performed  a  Christmas 
piece,  expressly  adapted  to  the  audience  and  the  circumstances.  During 
January  the  thermometer  ranged  from  30°  to  4.0°  below  zero,  and  occa- 
sionally sank  to  50^,  so  that  in  going  ashore  the  change  of  temperature 
was  sometimes  120°,  but  by  using  the  necessary  precautions  no  injury 
was  received,  and  they  kept  up  their  daily  rambles. 

At  length  the  gunner  of  the  Hecla  was  taken  down  with  scurvy, 
contracted  through  the  moisture  deposited  by  the  steam  on  his 
bedclothes,  notwithstanding  all  the  care  that  had  been  taken  to 
guard  against  this  evil.  By  the  free  use  of  the  recognized  remedies, 
especially  the  fresh  mustard  and  cresses,  which  the  commander 
with  his  usual  forethought  had  procured,  the  gunner  was  restored 
to  health.  A  few  others  were  slightly  affected,  and  more  easily 
cured.  It  was  found  that  the  men  became  easily  frost-bitten  in 
their  feet,  and  with  his  customary  spirit  of  investigation  the  comman- 
der sought  out  the  cause  and  the  remedy.  It  was  found  that  the  hard 
thick  leather  of  which  their  boots  were  made  cramped  their  feet  and 
prevented  the  circulation,  thus  inducing  frost  bites  of  the  joints.  "  Being 
very  desirous,"  says  Parry,  "  of  avoiding  these  accidents,  which,  from 
the  increased  sluggishness  with  which  the  sores  healed,  were  more  and 
more  likely  to  affect  the  general  health  of  the  patients  by  long  confine- 
ment, I  directed  a  pair  of  canvas  boots,  lined  with  blanketing  or  some 
other  woolen  stuff,  to  be  made  for  each  man,  using  rawhide  as  soles;  this 
completely  answered  the  desired  purpose,  as  scarcely  any  frost  bites  in 
the  feet  afterward  occurred,  except  under  circumstances  of  very  severe 
exposure." 

At  noon  on  Feb.  3d  the  sun  was  seen  fifty-one  feet  above  the  hori- 
zon from  the  maintop  of  the  Hecla  for  the  first  time  since  Nov.  1 1 ; 
and  at  the  same  hour  on  the  yth  its  full  orb  was  first  visible  above  the 


181 


182  A  BLAZE. 

horizon,  with  a  mock-sun  22Q  to  the  east.  The  daylight  was  sufficient 
from  eight  to  four  o'clock  for  outside  work,  and  they  began  the  task  of 
preparation  for  their  departure.  They  collected  stones  for  ballast,  of 
which  the  Hecla  would  require  seventy  tons,  besides  twenty  of  additional 
water  to  replace  the  weight  of  provisions  and  stores  consumed  during 
their  stay.  February  proved  the  coldest  month,  the  mercury  descending 
to  55°  below  zero  on  the  night  of  the  I4th.  But  even  then  no  inconven- 
ience was  suffered  from  exposure  to  the  open  air  in  calm  weather.  If, 
however,  there  was  occasion  to  face  even  a  light  wind,  severe  pains  in  the 
face  and  head  were  sure  to  ensue.  On  the  i6th  a  mock  sun  appeared  on 
each  side  of  the  sun,  visible  for  half  an  hour.  On  the  24th  the  house 
which  had  been  built  on  shore  for  astronomical  instruments,  was  discov- 
ered to  be  on  fire.  The  men  from  both  ships  hastened  to  the  rescue,  and 
by  tearing  off  the  roof  and  throwing  snow  on  the  burning  interior,  they 
extinguished  the  flames  without  injury  to  the  more  valuable  instruments. 
The  thermometer  was  at  44°  below  zero,  and  they  were  at  work  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour.  "  The  men's  faces  presented  a  singular  spectacle; 
almost  every  nose  and  cheek  was  frost-bitten,  and  became  quite  white  in 
five  minutes  after  being  exposed  to  the  weather;  so  that  the  medical 
men,  with  some  others  appointed  to  assist  them,  were  obliged  to  go 
constantly  round  while  the  men  were  working  at  the  fire,  and  to  rub 
with  snow  the  parts  affected  in  order  to  restore  animation.  Capt. 
Sabine's  servant,  in  his  anxiety  to  save  the  dipping  needle  from  the 
observatory,  ran  out  without  his  gloves;  his  fingers,  in  consequence,  were 
so  completely  frozen  that  on  his  hands  being  plunged  into  a  basin  of  cold 
water,  the  surface  was  immediately  covered  with  a  cake  of  ice  from  the 
intensity  of  the  cold  thus  communicated  to  it;  but  animation  could  not 
be  restored  in  this  instance,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  resort  to  ampu- 
tation." This  hero  of  duty  and  victim  of  imprudence  was  John  Smith. 
He  lost  parts  of  four  fingers  on  one  hand  and  three  on  the  other. 

Sunday,  the  5th  of  March,  was  the  first  day  to  which  they  could  at- 
tach the  idea  of  spring,  and  they  noticed  with  peculiar  gratification  the 
thawing  of  a  little  snow  on  the  stern  of  the  Hecla,  which  lay  due  south, 
this  being  the  first  time  such  a  thing  had  occurred  for  more  than  five 


EXTRACT  FROM  AN  ARCTIC   JOURNAL.  183 

months.  On  the  8th,  "it  will  scarcely  be  credited,"  says  Parry,  "that  we 
removed  about  100  buckets  full  of  ice,  each  containing  from  five  to  six 
gallons,  being  the  accumulation  which  had  taken  place  in  an  interval  of 
less  than  four  weeks ;  and  this  immense  quantity  was  the  produce  of  the 
men's  breath  and  of  the  steam  of  their  victuals  during  meals,  that  from  the 
coppers  were  being  effectually  carried  on  deck  by  the  screen  which  I  have 
before  mentioned."  But  though  March  "came  in  as  a  lamb,"  before  the 
middle  of  April  the  weather  again  grew  very  cold.  The  i6th,  however, 
was  mild  and  pleasant,  and  is  worthy  of  mention  as  being  the  date  of 
their  last  theatrical  performance,  consisting  of  two  farces — "The  Citizen" 
and  "The  Mayor  of  Garratt" — with  an  original  epilogue  by  one  of  the 
ship's  poets.  A  week  later  they  tested  the  newly  formed  ice  in  Winter 
Harbor.  The  depth  of  water  was  only  twenty-five  and  a  half  feet,  and 
the  ice  was  found  to  be  six  and  a  half  feet  thick.  This  had  been  pro- 
duced in  six  months,  and  allowing  for  six  weeks  more  to  the  close  of  the 
season  it  was  thought  fair  to  estimate  the  rate  of  formation  as  seven  feet 
and  a  half  for  the  whole  winter.  Toward  the  close  of  April  the  weather 
again  grew  mild  and  genial,  but  on  the  first  of  May  under  the  influence 
of  a  strong  gale  from  the  north,  it  suddenly  became  as  cold  as  before. 

"The  Winter  Chronicle  "and  North  Georgia  Gazette"  appeared 
daily,  Sundays  excepted,  from  the  first  of  November,  1819,  to  the  2Oth 
of  March,  1820.  It  reported  the  different  excursions,  hunting  expedi- 
tions, explorations,  discoveries,  accidents,  and  adventures.  It  contained 
criticisms  of  the  latest  theatrical  performance  and  announcements  of  the 
next  one.  Stories,  original  and  otherwise,  correspondence  and  poetry, 
were  not  wanting;  and  altogether  it  must  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
successful  ventures  in  journalism  ever  attempted.  It  was  eagerly 
perused  by  the  whole  community ;  such  as  could  not  read  had  it  read  to 
them ;  and  there  was  not  a  single  resident  of  Winter  Harbor  who  did 
not  take  the  Gazette.  The  following  letter,  which  appeared  in  the  first 
number,  graphically  describes  the  interest  awakened,  and  therefore  is 
given  in  full: 

"  MR.  EDITOR: — Your  proposition  to  establish  a  journal  has  been  re- 
ceived by  us  with  the  greatest  satisfaction.  I  am  convinced  that,  under 


184  ARCTIC  TRIBULATIONS. 

your  direction,  it  will  be  a  great  source  of  amusement,  and  go  a  long 
way  to  lighten  our  hundred  days  of  darkness.  The  interest  I  take  in 
the  matter  myself,  has  led  me  to  study  the  effect  of  your  announcement 
on  my  comrades,  and  I  can  testify — to  use  reporters'  language — that  the 
thing  has  produced  an  immense  sensation.  The  day  after  your  pros- 
pectus appeared,  there  was  an  unusual  and  unprecedented  demand  for 
ink  among  us,  and  our  green  tablecloth  was  deluged  with  snippings  and 
parings  of  quill-pens,  to  the  injury  of  one  of  our  servants,  who  got  a 
piece  driven  right  under  his  nail.  I  know  for  a  fact  that  Sergeant  Mar- 
tin had  no  less  than  nine  penknives  to  sharpen.  It  was  quite  a  novel 
sight  to  see  all  the  writing-desks  brought  out,  which  had  not  made  their 
appearance  for  a  couple  of  months;  and  judging  by  the  reams  of  paper 
visible,  more  than  one  visit  must  have  been  made  to  the  depths  of  the 
hold. 

"I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you,  that  I  believe  attempts  will  be  made  to 
slip  into  your  box  sundry  articles  which  are  not  altogether  original,  as 
they  have  been  published  already.  I  can  declare  that  no  later  than  last 
night,  I  saw  an  author  bending  over  his  desk,  holding  a  volume  of  the 
'Spectator'  open  with  one  hand,  and  thawing  the  frozen  ink  in  his  pen 
at  the  lamp,  with  the  other.  I  need  not  warn  you  to  be  on  your  guard 
against  such  tricks,  for  it  would  never  do  for  us  to  have  articles  in  our 
'Winter  Chronicle'  which  our  great-grandfathers  read  over  their  break- 
fast tables  a  century  ago." 

"Arctic  Tribulations — To  go  out  in  the  morning  for  a  walk,  and  the 
moment  you  put  your  foot  outside  the  ship,  find  yourself  immersed  in 
the  cook's  water-hole. 

"  To  go  out  hunting,  and  fall  in  with  a  splendid  reindeer,  take  aim, 
and  find  your  gun  has  gone  oft"  with  a  flash  in  the  pan,  owing  to  damp 
powder. 

"  To  set  -out  on  a  march  with  a  good  supply  of  soft  new  bread  in 
your  pocket,  and  discover  when  you  want  to  eat,  that  it  has  frozen  so 
hard  that  you  would  break  your  teeth  if  you  attempted  to  bite  it  through. 

"  To  rush  from  the  table  when  it  is  reported  that  a  wolf  is  in  sight, 
and  on  coming  back  to  find  the  cat  has  eaten  your  dinner." 


THE  HECLA  BECOMES   FREE.  185 

"  To  be  returning  quietly  home  from  a  walk,  absorbed  in  profitable 
meditation,  and  suddenly  find  yourself  in  the  embrace  of  a  bear." 

On  the  6th  of  May,  with  the  thermometer  at  only  8^°  above  zero, 
they  began  to  cut  the  ice  from  about  the  ships,  the  men  as  usual  being 
carefully  looked  after,  and  supplied  with  special  equipments  to  protect 
them  against  the  weather.  On  the  I2th,  the  first  ptarmigan  appeared, 
and  on  the  I3th,  the  northward  tracks  of  reindeer  and  musk-oxen  were 
noticed.  On  the  i5th,  two  or  three  flocks  of  ptarmigans  were  seen,  and 
thence  on  "a  brace  or  two  were  almost  daily  secured  for  the  sick,  for 
whose  use  they  were  exclusively  reserved."  They  had  worked  twelve 
days  in  cutting  the  ice  from  around  the  Hecla  when  she  disengaged  her- 
self, like  a  thing  of  life  bursting  its  lighter  bonds  after  the  chief  obstruc- 
tions had  been  removed.  Seven  days  later  they  had  a  shower  of  rain 
which  created  as  much  surprise  as  if  they  had  never  seen  one,  every  one 
hurrying  on  deck  to  revel  in  the  almost  forgotten  sensation.  With  the 
cutting  of  ice  to  liberate  the  ships;  the  hauling,  the  breaking,  weighing, 
and  stowing  of  stone  to  ballast  them;  the  making  and  repairing  of  sails 
and  cordage;  and  the  various  labors  of  carpenters,  coopers,  caulkers,  and 
armorers,  the  vessels  and  the  shore  now  presented  an  animated  appear- 
ance; and  the  general  health  was  promoted  by  the  abundance  of  work 
and  the  change  in  temperature.  On  the  last  day  of  May,  the  commander 
took  a  survey  of  the  landscape  from  an  adjoining  hill,  but  it  was  not  very 
encouraging.  "The  sea  still  presented  the  same  unbroken  and  continu- 
ous surface  of  solid  and  impenetrable  ice,  and  this  ice  could  not  be  less 
than  from  six  to  seven  feet  in  thickness,  as  we  knew  it  to  be  about  the 
ships.  When  to  this  circumstance  was  added  the  consideration  that 
scarcely  the  slightest  symptoms  of  thawing-  had  yet  appeared,  and  that 
in  three  weeks  from  this  period  the  sun  would  again  begin  to  decline  to 
the  southward,  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  most  sanguine  and  enthusi- 
astic among  us  had  some  reason  to  be  staggered  in  the  expectations  they 
had  formed  of  the  complete  accomplishment  of  our  enterprise." 

On  the  first  day  of  June,  leaving  orders  to  Lieuts.  Liddon  and  Beechey 
to  prosecute  the  work  of  preparation,  the.  commander,  accompanied  by 
Captain  Sabine,  Messrs.  Fisher,  Nias,  Reid  and  seven  others,  proceeded 


186  ESQUIMAUX  HUTS. 

to  explore  Melville  Island  toward  the  north.  Their  provisions  and  sup- 
plies weighed  800  pounds,  and  were  borne  on  a  cart  made  for  the  purpose, 
and  drawn  by  the  men.  In  addition  to  this  general  equipment  each  man 
carried  a  knapsack  containing  clothing  and  blankets,  and  weighing  about 
seventeen  pounds.  Having  reached  the  northern  coast  of  the  island  on 
the  eighth,  they  erected  a  cairn,  twelve  feet  wide  and  as  many  high,  in 
which  was  deposited  a  tin  cylinder  containing  an  account  of  the  trip  and 
a  few  English  coins.  On  the  9th  they  crossed  a  small  running  stream, 
the  first  they  had  seen.  Four  days  later  they  discovered  in  the  north- 
west of  the  island  the  remains  of  six  Esquimaux  huts.  "  They  consisted 
of  rude  circles,  about  six  feet  in  diameter,  constructed  irregularly  of 
stones  of  all  sizes  and  shapes,  and  raised  to  the  height  of  two  feet  from 
the  ground.  They  were  paved  with  large  slabs  of  white  schistose  sand- 
stone, which  is  here  abundant.  The  moss  had  spread  over  this  floor,  and 
appeared  to  be  the  growth  of  three  or  four  years.  In  each  of  the  huts  on 
one  side  was  a  small  separate  compartment  forming  a  recess,  projecting 
outward,  which  had  probably  been  their  store-room ;  and  at  a  few  feet 
from  one  of  the  huts  was  a  smaller  circle  of  stones,  which  had  composed 
the  fire-place,  the  marks  of  fire  being  still  perceptible  upon  them."  Dur- 
ing the  trip,  which  occupied  just  fourteen  days,  they  had  been  able  to 
kill  some  game,  thus  securing  a  healthful  and  pleasant  change  from  the 
preserved  meats  which  formed  their  regular  fare.  Their  only  mishap 
was  the  breaking  down  of  their  cart  in  descending  the  side  of  a  ravine  on 
the  loth,  after  which  they  carried  the  remainder  of  their  provisions  and 
supplies  on  their  backs,  the  officers  being  burdened  with  about  fifty 
pounds  each,  and  the  men,  as  more  robust,  taking  some  twenty  pounds 
more. 

On  his  return  to  the  ships  Parry  found  the  preparations  had  pro- 
gressed favorably  in  his  absence;  and  what  was  equally  gratifying,  that 
the  indigenous  sorrel  plant  was  so  far  advanced  as  to  be  fit  for  eating. 
The  men  were  sent  out  for  an  hour  or  two  every  afternoon  to  collect  the 
leaves  of  this  plant,  which  was  found  growing  all  around  in  great  abund- 
ance, and  of  which  they  consumed  a  great  quantity  as  a  preventive  of  the 
scurvy.  On  the  3Oth  of  June  their  only  chronic  patient,  William  Scott, 


BURIAL   OF  SCOTT. 


187 


died;  and  on  Sunday,  the  2d  of  July,  he  was  buried  on  land  with  great 
solemnity  and  respect.  On  the  iyth  the  thermometer  reached  60°,  the 
highest  point  marked  during  their  entire  stay  in  Winter  Harbor;  and 
the  month  of  July  was  declared  to  be  the  only  one  in  the  year  which 
could  be  said  to  be  at  all  comfortable  in  that  climate.  And  yet  the  ice 
held  them  captive  until  the  3Oth  of  July,  when  the  whole  body  began  to 
move  out  of  the  harbor. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

STRUGGLE    WITH    ICE BANKS5    LAND    DISCOVERED PROVISIONS    DE- 
STROYED  OUT    OF    DANGER PARRY    ORDERS    FULL  RATIONS    FOR 

HIS    CREW THE    RETURN    HOMEWARD  —  VISIT    FROM    ESQUIMAUX 

DESCRIPTION     OF    NATIVE     DRESS     AND     MANNERS ARRIVE     IN 

ENGLAND. 

At  length,  they  were  permitted  by  the  outward  movement  of  the  ice 
to  pass  into  the  straits  and  renew  the  effort  to  proceed  farther  west.  But 
immense  quantities  of  floating  ice  and  the  narrowness  of  the  channel  left 
open  between  the  ice-floe  and  the  island,  made  their  progress  slow  and 
difficult.  At  i  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  ist  of  August,  1820, 
they  weighed  anchor,  and  went  hopefully  on  to  contend  with  their 
old  enemy,  the  floating  ice.  The  channel  was  found  open  to  within 
a  mile  or  two,  and  at  intervals  somewhat  more.  In  a  few  instances 
the  ice  had  been  driven  so  far  south  as  to  leave  a  short  stretch  of 
open  water  five  miles  wide,  which  was  the  utmost  breadth  they  had 
found  at  any  time  on  that  coast.  With  the  wind  from  the  west- 
ward, and  the  ice-floe  ever  and  anon  driven  more  or  less  across 
this  channel,  their  advance  could  not  be  rapid.  On  the  2d,  the 
wind  veering  to  the  south,  a  heavy  floe  was  driven  clear  to  the  coast 
ahead  of  the  ships,  which  made  it  necessary  to  stop  short  and  seek  a  tem- 
porary harbor.  This  they  found  in  the  shelter  of  some  heavy  shore  ice, 
which  protected  them  against  the  main  body  of  the  floating  ice.  Here 
the  crews  of  both  ships  went  ashore  to  collect  sorrel,  which  was  found 
to  be  too  old  to  be  of  much  value.  They  heard  the  growling  of  a  soli- 
tary bear,  being  only  the  second  that  they  had  any  knowledge  of  in  those 
regions  during  a  stay  of  over  ten  months. 

On    the    4th,  a  mass   of  ice    five  miles    long    and   one    and    a    half 
wide    was    driven    toward     them    by    the    wind,    but    was    checked    by 

188 


PARRY  DECIDES    TO  SAIL  EASTWARD.  189 

the  shore  ice,  which  was  lodged  outside  of  the  ships,  and  soon 
after  moved  oft  again.  Later  on,  the  ice  ahead  also  fell  away  from 
the  shore,  leaving  them  ;i  narrow  channel  varying  in  width  from  a 
half  mile  to  two,  which  they  hastened  to  penetrate.  The  wind  soon 
failed  them,  and  though  they  could  see  a  greater  expanse  of  open  water 
beyond,  they  were  unable  to  reach  it.  On  the  5th,  the  calm  still  contin- 
uing, they  landed,  and  ascended  a  hill  which  they  ascertained  to  be  847 
feet  above  the  sea  level,  when  a  favorable  wind  arising,  they  hurried 
aboard  and  scudded  to  the  west  for  two  hours  before  an  easterly  breeze. 
Again  the  floe  loomed  to  the  west  of  them,  closing  in  toward  the  land, 
and  they  had  only  time  to  seek  refuge  behind  some  grounded  ice  along- 
shore. Here  they  were  detained  by  the  ice  and  adverse  winds  until  the 
23d.  It  was  the  most  westerly  point  they  reached,  and  its  situation  was 
ascertained  to  be  in  latitude  74°  26'  25'',  and  longitude  113°  46'  43''. 
In  view  of  the  difficulties  that  beset  them,  and  shortness  of  the  season 
for  efiwt  in  those  waters,  the  commander  had  already  determined  on  the 
1 6th,  with  the  full  concurrence  of  his  officers,  that  the  wisest  course  left 
was  to  sail  to  the  east  before  it  was  too  late.  It  was  proposed  to  cross 
the  channel  to  the  north  coast  of  America,  if  an  opening  could  be  found 
in  the  ice,  in  the  hope  that  possibly  in  a  more  southern  latitude  they 
could  yet  proceed  farther  to  the  west  than  they  had  reached.  To  the 
land  he  had  discovered  on  the  8th  of  August,  lying  to  the  westward,  but 
which  he  could  not  reach,  he  gave  the  name  of  Banks'  Land,  in  honor 
of  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  president  for  over  forty  years  of  the  Royal  Society, 
and  a  great  patron  of  travelers  and  explorers.  From  time  to  time  men- 
tion has  been  made  of  the  active  watchfulness  of  the  commander  in 
securing  the  health  of  his  men  as  well  as  the  safety  of  his  ships.  He  had 
the  gratification  of  now  finding  his  officers  and  men  substantially  in  as 
good  health  as  when  they  had  left  London  more  than  fifteen  months 
before.  They  had  secured  in  the  twelve  months  3,766  pounds  of  fresh 
meat — 3  musk-oxen,  24  deer,  68  hares,  53  geese,  59  ducks  and  1 14  ptar- 
migans, and,  as  has  been  seen,  they  gathered  anti-scorbutic  plants  whenever 
practicable.  But  the  stock  of  remedies  and  preventives  of  the  scurvy  had 
been  seriously  diminished  by  a  peculiar  accident  which  befell  their 


190  FULL  RATIONS  ORDERED. 

stores  of  lime-juice.  In  the  early  part  of  the  winter  it  was  found  that 
over  two-thirds  of  the  stock  had  been  lost  by  the  bursting  of  the  bottles, 
and  the  remainder  had  been  rendered  almost  worthless  by  the  frost. 
Where  the  juice  had  been  frozen,  only  a  small  portion  of  concen- 
trated acid  remaining  in  the  center,  and  when  thawed,  the  iuice  was  but 
little  better  than  water. 

As  to  the  ships,  in  the  last  refuge  sought,  the  Hecla  got  one  serious 
nip  from  an  ice  floe  forty-two  feet  thick,  and  the  Griper  had  her  stern 
thrown  up  two  or  three  feet  by  a  cake  of  ice  forced  in  beneath  her  by 
the  outer  floe;  but  they  were  substantially  as  effective  as  when  they  left 
home.  It  was  therefore  wisely  decided  not  to  jeopardize  the  measure  of 
success  already  obtained,  and  especially  the  freedom  from  disaster,  by 
remaining  another  winter  on  that  dreary  coast,  with  only  the  prospect  of 
a  few  weeks  of  uncertain  effort  and  inadequate  results,  after  ten  months 
of  weary  waiting. 

Sailing  east,  they  encountered  the  same  difficulties  as  on  the  previous 
season,  in  getting  into  winter  quarters;  but  by  careful  handling  they  made 
some  headway,  and  on  the  28th  were  abreast  of  Cape  Hearne,  the  west- 
ern headland  of  the  Bay  of  the  Hecla  and  Griper.  In  five  hours  they 
reached  the  opposite  headland  of  Cape  Bounty,  and  five  hours  later  the 
channel  was  free  of  ice  to  the  width  of  five  miles  from  the  land.  On  the 
evening  of  the  apth  they  were  within  four  or  five  miles  of  where  they 
had  been  at  the  same  hour  twelve  months  before,  going  west;  and  could 
not  help  reflecting  on  the  vicissitudes  they  had  since  experienced.  Passing 
Prince  Regent  Inlet,  which  they  had  explored  the  previous  year,  and  find- 
ing no  other  entrance  to  a  more  southern  latitude,  the  commander  now 
definitely  announced  that  they  were  bound  for  England,  and  placed  the 
men  on  full  rations.  For  eleven  months  they  had  been  restricted  to  two- 
thirds  of  the  regular  allowance  of  the  British  navy,  and  had  also  been 
very  sparing  in  the  use  of  fuel,  which  contributed  even  more  to  their  dis- 
comfort. Both  restrictions  were  now  removed.  They  had  searched  in 
vain  through  twenty-four  degrees  of  longitude,  from  114°  to  90°,  for  an 
opening  through  the  ice  and  land  to  a  more  southern  latitude,  and  Parry 
now  concluded  to  proceed  homeward  to  report  results,  and,  if  duly 


VISIT  FROM  ESQUIMAUX.  191 

authorized,  to  refit  for  another  voyage.  The  month  of  September,  how- 
ever,  they  would  devote  on  the  way  to  a  careful  scrutiny  of  the  western 
shore  of  Baffin's  Bay,  still  in  the  hope  of  finding  an  inlet  that  would  lead 
in  some  future  voyage,  to  a  more  practicable  westward  route  than  that 
they  had  been  exploring. 

They  left  Possession  Bay  on  the  ist  of  September,  resuming  the  use 
of  the  mariner's  compass,  which  had  been  discontinued  about  twelve 
months  before  on  account  of  its  inactivity  and  sluggishness  in  the  more 
northern  regions  they  had  traveled.  On  the  3d  they  passed  some  of  the 
highest  icebergs  they  had  seen,  being  nearly  two  hundred  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  water.  The  next  day,  having  landed  to  make  some  ob- 
servations, they  saw  over  sixty  of  those  huge  icebergs  in  the  distance ; 
and  from  the  masthead  far  more  welcome  objects,  the  masts  and  rigging 
of  the  whalers.  These  proved  to  be  British,  and  on  the  fifth  they  spoke 
another,  whose  captain  gave  them  some  news  from  England,  the  first 
they  had  received  since  their  departure  just  sixteen  months  before. 

On  the  sixth,  from  the  islands  at  the  mouth  of  the  River  Clyde  they 
were  visited  by  four  Esquimaux  who  approached  the  Hecla  in  their 
canoes  without  any  sign  of  fear  or  hesitation.  They  expressed  their 
astonishment  at  what  they  saw  with  loud  cries,  accompanied  by  a  sort 
of  jumping  pantomime  which  lasted  about  a  minute.  The  ensuing  day 
they  were  visited  on  shore  by  the  commander  and  some  of  his  officers,  and 
were  found  to  have  their  tents  on  the  mainland,  about  forty  or  fifty  feet 
from  the  beach.  These  were  their  summer  quarters,  and  their  huts  for 
winter  residence  were  found  farther  up  toward  the  head  of  the  cove  in 
a  sheltered  spot.  These  were  in  part  excavated  out  of  the  side  of  the 
cliff,  the  remainder  of  each  inclosure  being  constructed  of  stones  after 
the  usual  manner.  The  tents  are  thus  described  by  Parry :  "  They  are 
principally  supported  by  a  long  pole  of  whalebone  fourteen  feet  high^ 
standing  perpendicularly,  with  four  or  five  feet  of  it  projecting  above  the 
skins  which  form  the  roof  and  sides.  The  length  of  the  tent  is  seven- 
teen, and  its  breadth  from  seven  to  nine  feet,  the  narrowest  part  being 
next  the  door,  and  widening  toward  the  inner  part,  where  the  bed, 
composed  of  a  quantity  of  the  small  shrubby  plant,  the  Andromeda 


192 


FARRT'S  EULOGT  ON   THE  NATIVES.  193 

Tetragona  [a  species  of  heath  plant],  occupies  about  one-third  of  the 
whole  apartment.  The  pole  of  the  tent  is  fixed  where  the  bed  com- 
mences and  the  latter  is  kept  separate  by  some  pieces  of  bone  laid  across 
the  tent  from  side  to  side.  The  door,  which  faces  the  southwest,  is  also 
formed  of  two  pieces  of  bone,  with  the  upper  ends  fastened  together, 
and  the  skins  are  made  to  overlap  in  that  part  of  the  tent,  which  is  much 
lower  than  the  inner  end.  The  covering  is  fastened  to  the  ground  by 
curved  pieces  of  bone,  being  generally  parts  of  the  whale."  These  rude 
barbarians  were  found  to  be  scrupulously  honest,  exhibiting  not  the 
slightest  disposition  to  abstract  anything  surreptitiously,  though  opportu- 
nities were  furnished  them  to  make  the  attempt.  They  exchanged  their 
wares  to  the  best  advantage,  holding  back  for  higher  offers,  but  always 
yielding  when  they  found  they  could  not  carry  their  customers  farther. 
What  presents  were  made  them  were  received  with  pleasure  and  thank- 
fulness; but  they  could  not  be  induced  to  drink  rum,  however  much  di- 
luted. Detecting  it  instantly  by  its  smell,  they  respectfully  but  unhesitat- 
ingly declined  to  taste  it. 

The  oldest  of  the  four  men  was  over  sixty,  and  being  somewhat 
bent  by  age  did  not  measure  quite  five  feet  in  height,  and  the 
younger  men  from  five  feet  four  and  a  half  to  five  feet  six  inches. 
The  women  were  four  feet  ten  and  four  feet  eleven  inches.  The  faces  of 
both  were  round  and  plump  in  the  younger  individuals;  skin  smooth; 
complexion  not  very  dark;  teeth  white;  eyes  small;  nose  broad,  but  not 
flat  to  deformity ;  hair  black,  straight  and  glossy,  and  worn  by  the  fe- 
males hanging  loose  over  their  shoulders.  The  youngest  of  the  grown 
females  evinced  much  timidity  and  natural  bashfulness,  and  from  this 
fact  and  the  absence  of  tattooing  which  marked  the  other  women,  she 
was  judged  to  be  unmarried.  The  encampment  consisted  of  eight  adults 
— four  men  and  four  women — and  some  children.  These,  Parry  says, 
"  were  generally  good  looking,  and  the  eldest  boy,  about  twelve  years  of 
age,  was  a  remarkably  fine  and  even  handsome  lad."  Their  means  of 
subsistence  were  judged  from  their  appearance  and  other  indications,  to 
be  ample,  and  there  was  no  evidence  of  disease  or  suffering.  "  Upon  the 
whole,"  says  the  enthusiastic  Parry,  "  these  people  may  be  considered  in 
13 


194  ARRIVE  IN  LONDON. 

possession  of  every  necessary  of  life,  as  well  as  of  most  of  the  com- 
forts and  conveniences  which  can  be  enjoyed  in  so  rude  a  state  of  society." 
Leaving  their  Esquimaux  friends  of  the  River  Clyde,  with  whom  in 
two  days  they  had  an  intercourse  on  ship  and  shore  of  only  seven  hours, 
they  made  but  slow  progress  until  the  I2th,  when  a  favorable  breeze 
springing  up  from  the  southwest,  they  advanced  toward  the  ice.  They 
were  again  caught  in  the  floes,  but  got  loose  after  the  usual  struggle. 
Four  days  later  in  a  fog  they  made  the  ships  fast  to  the  floes  and  floated 
with  them;  and  on  the  i8th,  to  an  iceberg,  when  they  were  repeatedly 
struck  by  the  loose  ice,  but  suffered  no  serious  damage,  being  strongly 
built.  On  the  24th  they  passed  out  of  the  Arctic  Circle  after  having 
been  within  it  almost  fifteen  months.  All  this  time  they  were  kept 
away  from  the  western  shore  by  the  accumulation  of  ice  on  that  side,  and 
could  seldom  see,  much  less  explore,  the  coast  as  they  had  proposed. 
Finally,  on  the  26th,  finding  all  efforts  at  exploration  in  that  quarter 
futile,  the  boats  were  hauled  on  deck,  and  all  sail  made  for  home.  On 
the  2d  of  October  the  ships  parted  company  in  a  gale;  and  on  the  i6th, 
the  Hecla  lost  her  bowsprit,  foremast  and  maintop-mast;  but  the  wreck 
was  soon  cleared  away,  and  by  the  iSth  they  had  raised  the  necessary 
jury-masts.  On  the  29th  they  made  Buchan  Ness,  on  the  northeast  coast 
of  Scotland,  and  on  the  3Oth,  the  commander,  accompanied  by  Captain 
Sabine,  left  Peterhead  for  London,  where  they  arrived  on  the  3d  of 
November,  the  Hecla  and  Griper  reaching  the  Thames  about  two  weeks 
later.  Both  ships  and  crew  were  but  little  the  worse  for  their  trip  of 
eighteen  months.  This  alone  would  have  entitled  the  expedition  to  be 
regarded  as  a  success,  but  was  far  from  being  the  only  claim  it  had  to 
consideration.  Great  additions  had  been  made  to  geographical  knowl- 
edge; Lancaster  Sound  had  been  explored;  Prince  Regent  Inlet,  Bar- 
row's Strait,  and  a  number  of  islands,  had  been  discovered;  important 
meteorological  and  magnetic  phenomena  had  been  observed;  and  the  im- 
practicability of  the  route  through  Lancaster  Sound  for  everyday  commer- 
cial voyages,  at  least,  was  amply  demonstrated.  For,  though  Parry 
thought  he  had  reached  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  may  be  regarded  as  virtu- 
ally having  done  so,  it  was  obvious  that  the  passage  could  not  be  con- 


BAS/S  FOR  ARCTIC  SEARCH. 


195 


sidered  a  highway  for  ocean  traffic,  which  was  after  all,  the  basis  of  the 
long-continued  search  for  the  Northwest  Passage.  He  had  gone  far  be- 
yond his  predecessors,  and,  like  Bylot  and  Baffin,  with  their  humble 
equipment  two  hundred  years  before,  had  returned  without  serious  injury 
to  ships  or  crew;  the  death  of  the  invalid  Scott  being  fairly  attributable 
to  constitutional  weakness  rather  than  to  any  neglect,  exposure  or  disease 
incident  to  the  voyage. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

EARLY    LIFE    OF    FRANKLIN WOUNDED    AT    NEW    ORLEANS STATE- 
MENT     OF      THE      OBJECTS      OF      FRANKLIN'S      THREE      VOYAGES 

EMBARKS    ON    FIRST    VOYAGE THE    FIRST    ICEBERG INTEREST- 
ING   EXPERIMENTS A    LEAK    IN    THE    SHIP TRADE    WITH    ESQUI-  . 

MAUX ARRIVE    AT    FORT    YORK MAKE    READY    FOR    OVERLAND 

JOURNEY. 

It  is  doubtful  whether,  in  the  history  of  England,  so  proud*  of  her 
titles,  and  of  the  pomp  and  magnificence  which  name  and  wealth  can 
give,  there  can  be  found  a  more  remarkable  proof  of  the  possibility  of 
rising  above  adverse  circumstances  than  is  seen  in  the  life  of  the  personage 
whose  achievements  will  occupy  the  next  few  chapters.  Born  in  com- 
parative obscurity,  and  beginning  life  in  the  performance  of  its  humbler 
duties,  he  rose  to  a  place  in  the  affections  of  his  countrymen,  of  which 
any  Englishman  might  well  have  been  proud.  He  was  born  at  Spilsby, 
Lincolnshire,  April,  1786,  and  was  intended  by  his  father  for  the  church, 
for  whose  duties  he  entered,  at  an  early  age,  upon  a  preliminary  course 
of  study.  While  very  young,  however,  he  showed  a  decided  taste  for 
the  sea;  and  his  father,  thinking  that  a  voyage  or  two  would  cure  him  of 
this  untoward  inclination,  decided  to  let  him  go.  His  first  voyage  was 
on  a  merchant  vessel  bound  to  Lisbon.  His  return  home  found  him  so 
confirmed  in  his  taste  that  he  decided  to  follow  the  life  of  a  sailor. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen,  accordingly,  he  entered  the  Royal  Navy,  and 
sailed  in  1801,  to  Australia,  with  Capt.  Flinders.  From  this  point  his 
life  presents  a  constant  succession  of  noble  deeds  and  brilliant  achieve- 
ments. He  served  with  credit  in  the  war  with  America,  in  1812,  and 
was  wounded  in  the  fatal  attack  upon  New  Orleans,  in  January,  1815. 
Having  obtained  the  rank  of  Lieutenant,  he  was  appointed  commander 

of  the  Trent  in  the  Arctic  expedition,  which  sailed  under  Capt.  Buchan 

196 


OBJECTS   OF  FRANKLIN'S   VOTAGES.  197 

in  1818.  After  this  he  was  successively  raised  to  the  rank  of  Captain, 
elected  a  member  of  the  Royal  Society,  and  finally  knighted  in  view  of 
valuable  services  rendered.  He  was  twice  married,  the  first  time  to  Miss 
Eleanor  Porderi,  in  1823,  and  the  second  time  to  Jane  Griffin,  in  1828, 
his  former  wife  having  died  just  as  he  was  setting  out  on  his  second 
Arctic  voyage. 

Franklin  was  the  leader  of  three  distinct  voyages,  which  had  for 
their  object  the  acquiring  of  more  perfect  knowledge  concerning  Arctic 
ground.  His  first  two  voyages  had  for  their  particular  object  to  deter- 
mine the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  northern  shore  of  North  America, 
and  the  trending  of  that  coast  from  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  east- 
ward, and  eastward  and  westward  from  the  mouth  of  the  MacKenzie. 
His  third  and  last  voyage  was  fitted  out  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  a 
Northwest  Passage,  which  had  been  supposed,  but  not  found  to  exist. 

The  objects  of  the  first  voya^ge  more  minutely  were  to  discover  the 
latitude  and  longitude  of  particular  places  on  the  Arctic  face  of  North 
America,  and  to  determine  the  trending  of  that  coast  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Coppermine  to  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  continent;  to  amend  the 
very  defective  geography  of  this  coast  by  particularly  noting  the  location 
of  all  important  rivers,  harbors,  and  bays,  contiguous  to  the  coast;  and 
to  take  such  observations  upon  the  plants,  the  air,  and  the  animal  life  of 
the  region  as  might  be  useful  or  convenient.  The  expedition  was  fitted 
out  by  the  English  government,  and  the  full  leadership  intrusted  to 
Franklin,  whose  able  conduct  proved  the  wisdom  of  the  choice.  Before 
sailing  he  availed  himself  of  the  advice  and  assistance  of  the  directors  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  Sir  Alexander  MacKenzie,  a  previous  explorer 
of  great  success,  and  many  others  who  could  give  him  intelligent  counsel 
and  information.  Franklin's  success  on  this  occasion  was  largely,  no 
doubt,  enhanced  by  his  fortunate  selection  of  assistants,  among  whom 
wdre  Dr.  Richardson  and  Mr.  Back,  themselves  both  navigators  of  ex- 
perience a*id  ability.  To  these,  and  others  who  accompanied  him,  he 
afterward  acknowledged  his  obligation  for  their  valuable  assistance,  and 
his  satisfaction  at  being  in  company  with  men  of  so  many  manly 
qualities. 


198  CAUTION  OF  NORTHERN  SAILORS. 

The  whole  party  embarked  at  Gravesend,  on  Sunday,  the  23d  of 
May,  1819.  The  Prince  of  Wales,  which  was  to  convey  the  outfit, 
belonged  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  was  accompanied  by  two 
others,  the  Eddystone  and  the  Wear.  As  the  wind  was  unfavorable, 
the  vessels  anchored  at  Yarmouth  for  several  days.  At  this  point  Lieut. 
Back  went  on  shore  two  or  three  miles  from  Yarmouth  to  attend  to 
some  matter  of  which  his  presence  there  reminded  him,  intending  to  be 
ready,  by  watching  the  signals,  to  return  as  soon  as  the  vessels  were 
ready  to  leave.  The  wind,  however,  suddenly  changed  soon  after  his 
departure,  and  the  Captain,  thinking  it  necessary  to  avail  himself  of  the 
present  fortune,  accordingly  weighed  anchor,  and  Mr.  Back  was  left  on 
shore.  A  note  was  sent  by  a  returning  ship  requesting  Mr.  Back  to 
take  the  coach  across  to  Pentland  Frith;  from  thence  to  cross  to  the  Parish 
of  Stromness  on  one  of  the  Orkneys,  and  there  rejoin  the  party.  •  When 
the  little  fleet  reached  Stromness  several  days  were  spent  in  waiting  for 
Mr.  Back,  affording,  in  the  meantime,  a  good  opportunity  for  testing  the 
instruments,  and  also  of  hiring  more  men,  which  Franklin  foresaw  would 
be  necessary  to  do.  A  notice  to  the  effect  that  men  were  wanted  was 
posted  up  on  the  church  door  at  Stromness,  this  being  certain  to  strike 
the  attention  of  every  person  in  the  parish.  To  Franklin's  surprise  only 
four  men  were  found  in  the  whole  parish  who  could  be  persuaded  to 
accompany  the  expedition.  Franklin's  narrative  says: 

"I  was  much  amused  with  the  extreme  caution  these  men  used  before- 
they  would  sign  the  agreement;  they  minutely  scanned  all  our  intentions, 
weighed  every  circumstance,  looked  narrowly  into  our  plan  of  route,  and 
still  more  circumspectly  to  the  prospect  of  return.  Such  caution  on  the 
part  of  the  northern  mariners  forms  a  singular  contrast  with  the  ready 
and  thoughtless  manner  in  which  an  English  seaman  enters  upon  any 
enterprise  however  hazardous,  without  inquiring  or  desiring  to  know 
where  he  is  going,  or  what  he  is  going  to  do."  It  was  late  in  June  before 
the  fleet  was  really  under  way  and  had  come  out  into  the  Atlantic. 

July  seems  to  have  been  more  favorable-  to  their  progress,  as 
the  twenty-fifth  of  that  month  found  them  at  the  entrance  of  Baffin's 
Bay.  Here  a  whaling  vessel  was  met  whose  master  gave  thrilling 


THE   FIRST  ICEBERG. 


199 


accounts  of  the  thickness  and  dangerous  character  of  the  ice  encoun- 
tered in  Davis'  Strait  and  the  upper  bay  this  year,  and  of  the  loss  of  sev- 
eral vessels  in  the  ice.  Both  passengers  and  crew  now  began  to  watch 
nervously  for  signs  of  icebergs,  often  mistaking  the  clouds  for  mountains 
of  ice,  in  their  feverish  curiosity.  In  a  short  time  it  became  necessary  to 
tack  the  ships  in  order  to  avoid  a  large  mass;  and  on  the  fifth  of  August 


SIR  JOHN   FRANKLIN. 

a  huge  iceberg  was  sighted.  Upon  reaching  it,  several  of  the  officers 
made  an  attempt  to  climb  up  its  side,  but  were  unsuccessful  on  account 
of  its  steepness  and  smoothness.  The  height  of  this  berg  was  ascertained 
to  be  about  150  feet.  It  will  be  readily  seen  that  as  .ice  is  nearly  as 
heavy  as  water,  only  a  very  small  portion  of  the  actual  bulk  of  the  ice  is 


200  A   LEAK  IN   THE  SHIP. 

seen  above  the  water.  Allowing  one-eignth,  as  the  portion  of  the  bulk 
visible,  and  supposing  the  average  height  of  this  berg  to  be  125  feet,  its 
whole  vertical  side  must  have  been  about  1,000  feet,  or  nearly  one-fifth 
of  a  mile.  The  peculiar  character  of  the  atmosphere  in  these  regions, 
however,  is  said  greatly  to  magnify  all  physical  appearances,  and  deceive 
the  observer  in  regard  to  the  size  of  objects. 

About  this  time  some  interesting  experiments  were  also  made 
respecting  the  temperature  of  water  at  different  depths.  A  bottle  well- 
corked,  was  fastened  to  the  sounding-line,  and  was  let  down  450 
fathoms.  The  register  thermometer  was  also  fastened  to  the  line 
and  was  supposed  to  descend  a  distance  of  650  fathoms.  The  change  in 
temperature  indicated  by  the  thermometer  during  its  descent  was  from 
46°  to  40.5°,  and  it  stood  at  the  latter  point  when  taken  out  of  its  tin 
case.  The  temperature  of  the  water  brought  up  in  the  bottle  was  41° 
— being  half  a  degree  higher  at  450  than  at  650  fathoms;  and  4°  colder 
than  the  water  at  the  surface  which  was  45°,  while  the  air  was  46°.. 
This  experiment  in  showing  the  water  to  be  colder  at  a  great  depth  than 
at  the  surface,  and  to  fall  in  temperature  in  proportion  to  the  descent, 
was  in  accordance  with  observations  of  certain  other  voyagers  of  those 
seas,  but  is  stated  by  Franklin  to  disagree  with  his  own  previous  experi- 
ments, in  which  he  had  always  found  the  water  at  the  surface  colder  than 
that  at  great  depth. 

On  the  7th  of  August  the  ship  Prince  of  Wales  struck  violently  on 
a  reef  near  the  coast  of  Greenland.  The  rudder  was  displaced,  and  there 
being  now  no  way  of  guiding  the  ship,  it  seemed  certain  to  founder. 
Recourse  to  the  tow-boats  was  thought  of,  but  these  would  be  insignifi- 
cant among  the  great  masses  of  ice,  and  the  thought  was  abandoned. 
Moreover,  the  shock  had  produced  a  rent  in  the  ship's  bottom,  and  the 
water  poured  in  at  a  great  rate.  Another  shock,  experienced  soon  after, 
fortunately  restored  the  rudder  to  its  proper  place,  but  its  leak  was  still 
a  great  source  of  danger.  To  complete  the  distress  of  the  now  sinking 
ship,  the  gale  just  past  had  separated  her  from  her  associates,  and  even 
in  case  of  the  last  extremity,  no  aid  could  be  expected  of  them.  The 
pumps  were  worked  all  the  time  without  any  apparent  diminution  of  the 


BARTERING    WITH  ESQUIMAUX.  201 

water  in  the  hold.  Even  the  women  on  board,  bound  for  the  Hudson 
Bay  colonies,  assisted,  and  as  Franklin  afterward  said,  their  example  did 
much  to  stimulate  the  crew.  At  last,  just  as  the  strength  and  hope  of 
all  seemed  about  gone,  a  judicious  use  of  oakum  and  canvas  reduced  the 
leak  to  such  proportions  that  it  could  be  easily  controlled,  and  the  Prince 
of  Wales  was  enabled  to  rejoin  her  comrades  in  safety. 

On  the  1 2th  of  August  the  ships  landed  on  the  coast  of  Greenland 
for  the  purpose  of  trading  with  the  natives,  or  rather  of  allowing  the 
natives  to  trade  with  them,  which  by  signals  they  had  shown  they 
were  anxious  to  do.  The  Esquimaux  met  them  in  their  kayaks  and 
accompanied  them  to  the  land.  They  at  once  evinced  a  desire  to  barter, 
and  displayed  no  small  cunning  in  making  their  bargains,  taking  care 
not  to  exhibit  too  many  articles  at  once.  Their  principal  commodities 
were  oil,  sea-horse  teeth,  whale  bone,  sealskin  dresses,  caps,  and  boots, 
deer  skins  and  horns,  and  models  of  their  canoes;  and  they  received  in 
exchange  small  saws,  knives,  nails,  tin  kettles,  and  needles.  It  is  de- 
scribed as  amusing  to  see  the  exultation  and  to  hear  the  shouts  and 
laughter  of  the  whole  party,  when  a  trade  was  made  by  an\-  one,  and  not 
a  little  ludicrous  to  witness  the  eagerness  with  which  the  fortunate  per- 
son licked  each  article  with  his  tongue  on  receiving  it,  as  a  finish  to  the 
bargain,  and  a  sort  of  act  of  appropriation.  In  no  case  did  they  omit 
this  practice,  however  small  the  article ;  the  needles  even,  passed  individ- 
ually through  the  ceremony.  The  women  brought  imitations  of  men, 
women  and  animals,  carved  carefully  out  of  sea-horse  teeth.  The 
dresses  and  the  figures  of  the  animals  were  not  badly  executed,  but  there 
seemed  to  be  no  attempt  at  the  delineation  of  countenances,  and  most  of 
the  figures  were  without  eyes,  ears,  and  fingers,  to  make  which  would 
probably  have  required  more  delicate  instruments  than  any  which  they 
possessed.  « 

The  men  set  most  value  on  saws;  Kutlen-Siva-bak — the  name  by 
which  they  distinguished  them,  being  a  constant  cry.  Knives  were  next 
in  estimation.  An  old  sword  was  traded  from  the  Eddy  stone,  and  the 
burst  of  joy  was  universal  when  the  happy  man  received  it. 

Taking  leave  of  their  Mongolian  friends,  the  vessels  sailed  away  for 


202  TORK  F ACTOR  T. 

Hudson's  Bay,  for  it  was  by  this  route  that  the  party  were  to  arrive  upon 
the  field  of  their  investigations.  At  this  time  the  great  British  fur  com- 
panies were  flourishing,  and  in  the  height  of  their  prosperity.  Trading- 
posts  had  been  established  all  the  way  from  Canada  to  the  frozen  lakes  of 
the  north,  and  it  was  along  the  line  of  these  posts  that  the  party  hoped 
to  find  assistance  to  further  the  prosecution  of  their  voyage.  The  prin- 
cipal companies  were  the  Northwestern  Company  and  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  the  previous  kindness  of  whose  agents  has  already  been  men- 
tioned. The  most  considerable  depot  of  British  trade  was  Fort  York, 
or  York  Factoiy,  as  it  was  then  called,  situated  on  the  Hayes  River 
about  five  miles  from  its  mouth.  Remnants  of  the  old  fort  still  remain 
as  a  dim  reminder  of  that  primitive  industry. 

To  this  point,  then,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  having  parted  company 
from  the  other  ships,  took  her  course,  where  a  schooner  was  to  be  fur- 
nished to  the  expedition,  and  where  Franklin  hoped  to  obtain  advice,  in- 
structions, and  a  native  interpreter.  Having  reached  York  Flats,  where 
they  were  treated  to  the  honor  of  a  salute,  the  next  step  was  to  supply 
themselves  for  their  northern  tour. 

Failing  to  find  any  Esquimaux  or  Indian  interpreters  here,  they  were 
obliged  to  run  the  risk  of  having  one  sent  to  them,' or  of  picking  one  up 
on  the  way.  As  no  schooner  was  available,  the  best  boat  belonging  to 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company  was  fitted  out  for  them,  and  duly  supplied 
with  the  necessaries  which  the  combined  experience  of  all  told  them 
the  occasion  would  require. 

The  reader  would  not  thank  us  to  give  the  minute  details  of  this 
journey,  nor  is  it  possible,  within  the  intended  scope  of  the  present  vol- 
ume, thus  to  enlarge  upon  unimportant  experiences.  Only  the  leading 
facts,  therefore,  and  such  of  the  salient  features  of  the  expedition  as  it  is 
possible  to  give  without  the  risk  of  being  tedious,  will  be  narrated. 

Hayes  River  was  ascended  to  its  source — the  confluence  of  the  Sham- 
matawa  and  Steel  Rivers.  The  latter  named  stream  and  Hill  River  were 
next  successively  ascended.  Owing  to  the  rapidity  of  these  streams  it 
was  necessary  to  walk  upon  the  bank  the  most  of  the  way,  and  haul  the 
boat,  with  its  load,  up  over  the  rushing  current.  At  this  rate  their  pro- 


A  REMARKABLE  ISLAND. 


203 


gress  was  only  ten  or  twelve  miles  a  day,  and  even  thus  every  man  sank 
down  exhausted  at  night.  Many  thrilling  episodes  might  be  related  of 
this  slow  and  tedious  journey.  At  one  time,  on  the  bank  of  Hill  River, 
Franklin  was  superintending  the  transportation  of  supplies  over  some 
rapids,  when  a  stratum  of  loose  rock  gave  way  under  his  feet,  and 
he  had  the  misfortune  to  step  from  the  summit  where  he  was  standing, 
into  the  river  below  two  of  the  falls.  His  attempts  to  regain  the  bank 
were  for  a  long  time  unavailing,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  expedition  were 
fated  to  be  deprived  of  its  gallant  leader.  The  rocks  within  his  reach 
were  worn  so  smooth  by  the  action  of  the  water  that,  although  he 
made  desperate  efforts  to  stay  his  downward  course,  it  was  impossible. 
Finally  he  grasped  some  willows,  and  was  able  to  hold  on  until  some 
gentlemen  came  to  his  rescue  in  a  boat.  It  was  a  very  narrow  escape, 
and  an  experience  which  he  did  not  care  to  repeat. 

We  must  not  omit  to  mention  brieflv  a  small  island  noticed  in  one 
of  these  rivers,  which  is  so  strongly  magnetic  as  to  render  a  common 
compass  entirely  useless  anywhere  in  the  range  of  its  influence.  Having 
been  previously  informed  of  its  existence,  they  watched  their  compasses 
carefully,  and  found  that  they  were  affected  at  the  distance  of  three 
hundred  yards,  both  on  the  approach  to  and  departure  from  the  center  of 
the  inlet.  On  decreasing  the  distance  the  instruments  were  rendered 
entirely  powerless,  and  upon  landing  it  was  evident  that  the  general 
magnetic  influence  was  entirely  overpowered  by  the  action  of  the  ore  in 
the  island. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

FRANKLIN'S   JOURNEY    TO    FT.  CHIPEWYAN  —  PROCURING    GUIDES  — 

SPEECH  OF  AN   INDIAN  CHIEF THE   RESOURCES  OF  THE   PARTY 

START  FOR  THE  COPPERMINE  —  THE  CHIEF  REFUSES  TO  PRO- 

ii 

CEED CANOE      PARTY     SENT     TO     THE     COPPERMINE  A    PEDES- 
TRIAN   TRIP RETURN    OF    BOTH    PARTIES. 

Swampy  Lake,  Jack  River— all  the  chain  of  rivers  and  lakelets  up 
as  far  as  Ft.  Chipewyan,  were  slowly  and  with  difficulty  ascended.  Some 
terrible  hardships  were  experienced.  It  was  necessary,  for  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  distance,  to  drag  the  boats  and  canoes,  and  to  carry  by 
land  this  bulk  of  supplies  over  the  "  portages,"  or  places  where  the 
rapids  were  too  extensive  to  permit  of  navigation.  Those  who  took 
upon  themselves  the  difficult  task  of  supplying  fresh  provisions  from  the 
settlements,  traveled  thousands  of  miles  back  and  forth,  amid  frightful 
dangers  from  threatening  famine,  from  unfriendly  natives,  and  from  the 
unfamiliarity  of  the  way.  The  miseries  endured  during  the  first  journey 
of  this  kind  are  said  to  be  so  great  that  nothing  could  induce  the  sufferer 
to  undertake  a  second  while  under  the  influence  of  present  pain.  He 
feels  his  frame  crushed  by  unaccountable  pressure;  he  drags  a  galling 
and  stubborn  weight  at  his  feet,  and  his  track  is  marked  with  blood. 
The  dazzling  scene  affords  him  no  rest  to  his  eye — no  object  to  divert 
his  attention  from  his  own  agonizing  sensation?.  When  he  arises  from 
sleep  half  his  body  seems  dead,  till  quickened  into  feeling  by  the  irritation 
of  his  sores.  But,  fortunately  for  him,  no  evil  makes  an  impression  so 
evanescent  as  pain.  He  soon  forgets  his  sufferings  when  once  removed 
from  them,  and  at  each  future  journey  their  recurrence  seems  to  be 
attended  with  diminished  acuteness. 

The  arrival  at  Ft.  Chipewyan,  however,  was  but  the  beginning  of  ad- 
ventures and  hardships.     The  plan   was   now  to  journey   northward  to 

204 


SPEECH  OF  AN  INDIAN  CHIEF.  205 

Ft.  Providence  on  Great  Slave  Lake;  to  build  a  large  canoe,  suitable 
for  traversing  the  northern  rivers;  to  engage  Indian  guides,  and  if 
possible,  Esquimaux  interpreters;  to  proceed  to  the  mouth  of  the  Copper- 
mine, and  from  that  point  to  address  themselves  to  the  particular  service 
for  which  the  expedition  was  planned,  viz.,  the  exploring  of  the  Ameri- 
can coast  on  the  north,  and  the  systematic  arrangement  of  the  knowl- 
edge thus  gained.  i 
Their  principal  canoe,  when  completed,  was  thirty-four  feet  long,  four 
feet  wide  in  the  middle,  and  about  two  feet  deep.  It  was  capable  of 
carrying  about  a  ton  and  a  half,  including  the  weight  of  the  five  or  six 
men  necessary  to  man  it.  Besides  this  there  were  other  and  smaller  ca- 
noes, fitted  for  the  more  rapid  and  easy  conveyance  of  the  officers  and 
guides.  The  agents  of  both  companies,  in  the  meantime,  did  the  party 
the  greatest  courtesy  possible — furnishing  them  all  the  necessaries  they 
could  possibly  spare,  and  showing  a  disposition  to  aid  them  in  every 
way  in  their  power.  Particularly  was  the  agent  of  the  Northwestern 
Company  useful  to  them  in  the  matter  of  procuring  guides  from  among 
the  Chipewyan  Indians.  This  was  of  necessity  a  matter  requiring 
the  utmost  caution.  It  was  necessary  to  take  every  possible  measure 
to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  Indians,  not  only  for  the  sake  of  getting 
out  of  them  all  the  aid  and  information  possible,  but  also  for  the  sake 
of  safety ;  for  among  the  northern  tribes  of  American  Indians  the  least 
departure  from  truth  or  supposed  consistency  is  esteemed  a  positive 
breach  of  faith,  and  is  never  forgotten.  On  the  occasion  of  engaging 
guides  at  this  time,  the  chief  of  the  party  interviewed  advanced  with 
the  utmost  gravity  and  began  his  harangue,  which  Franklin  understood 
had  been  several  days  in  preparing.  This  chief  proved  to  be  a  shrewd, 
penetrating  man,  and  left  a  favorable  impression  upon  the  minds  of  the 
party  as  to  his  intellectual  qualities.  He  began  by  stating  that  he  was 
glad  so  powerful  a  chief  from  among  the  pale-faces  had  come  among 
them,  and  assured  him  that  the  Indians  loved  those  whose  purpose  it  was 
to  assist  them.  He  said  that  when  the  party  first  arrived  he  was  greatly 
disappointed;  for  he  had  heard  there  was  among  them  a  mighty  medi- 
cine man  who  possessed  the  power  of  restoring  to  life  the  dead  and  de- 


206  COMPACT  BETWEEN   WHITES  AND  INDIANS. 

parted;  and  he  had  felt  so  great  delight  in  the  prospect  of  meeting 
with  his  friends,  that  his  sorrow  in  finding  himself  mistaken  could  not 
be  described.  He  was  ready,  however,  to  assist  the  new  comers  in 
whatever  reasonable  enterprise  they  might  engage.  He  cl6sed  his 
speech  by  demanding  to  know  minutely  the  object  of  the  adventurers, 
and  their  plans  for  the  future. 

In  his  reply  Franklin  took  pains  to  assure  him  that  their  purpose  was 
nothing  but  good ;  that  they  saw  the  difficulty  under  which  their  red 
brethren  labored,  and  that  he  hoped  by  becoming  more  familiar  with 
the  coast  and  the  wilds  of  the  north,  to  be  able  to  relieve  not  only  their 
embarrassments  but  those  of  all  the  inhabitants.  He  informed  them  that 
he  came  from  the  greatest  chief  in  the  world,  who  was  also  the  sover- 
eign of  the  companies  with  whom  they  were  in  the  habit  of  trading.  He 
further  warned  them  of  the  folly  of  making  war  with  the  Esquimaux, 
and  promised  them,  in  case  of  faithful  service,  a  reward  of  cloth,  beads, 
and  useful  implements  of  iron. 

The  chief  admitted  that  his  tribe  had  made  war  upon  the  Esqui- 
maux, but  promised  to  desist;  recommending,  however,  that  their  ad- 
vances toward  them  should  be  conducted  with  the  utmost  caution ;  and 
signified  at  last  their  willingness  to  accompany  the  party  and  co-oper- 
ate with  them  in  every  particular. 

An  agreement  having  thus  been  arrived  at  with  the  Indians,  the 
expedition  at  once  prepared  to  set  out.  The  Indians  were  sent  out 
ahead,  and  were  to  encamp  upon  the  Yellow  Knife,  a  small  stream 
whose  ascent  lay  in  their  way;  while  the  residue  of  the  party  were  to 
pack  the  provisions  and  supplies.  This  process  could  not  be  gone 
through  with  in  the  presence  of  the  Indians,  as  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
continually  begging  for  everything  they  saw.  The  store  consisted  of 
two  barrels  of  gunpowder,  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  ball  and  small 
shot,  four  fowling  pieces,  a  few  old  trading  guns,  eight  pistols,  twenty- 
four  Indian  daggers,  some  packages  of  knives,  chisels,  axes,  nails,  and 
fastenings  for  a  boat,  a  few  yards  of  cloth,  some  blankets,  needles,  look- 
ing-glasses, and  beads;  together  with  nine  fishing-nets  of  different  sizes. 
The  provisions  included  two  casks  of  flour,  two  hundred  dried  reindeer 


ASCENT  OF  THE   TELLOW  KNIFE.  207 

tongues,  some  dried  moose  meat,  portable  soup,  and  arrow-root  sufficient 
in  the  whole  for  ten  days'  consumption,  besides  two  cases  of  chocolate, 
and  two  canisters  of  tea.  The  party  now  consisted  of  twenty-eight  per- 
sons, including  the  wives  of  three  of  the  Canadian  voyagers  who  had 
been  engaged  at  Ft.  York.  It  had  been  decided  best  to  take  the  women, 
as  they  might  be  useful  in  the  making  of  shoes  and  clothing,  in  car- 
ing for  the  sick,  and  in  many  other  ways. 

Over  a  year  had  now  been  consumed  in  reaching  their  present  posi- 
tion. On  the  2d  of  August,  1820,  the  whole  party,  including  the  In- 
dians, began  the  ascent  of  the  Yellow  Knife.  The  prospect  of  reaching 
the  Coppermine  that  season,  and  of  exploring  a  portion  of  country  hith- 
erto untrod  by  white  men,  was  a  source  of  the  greatest  elation  to  the 
party,  and  the  start  was  made  in  high  spirits.  The  character  of  the  rivers, 
whose  course  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  traverse,  was  such  that  fre- 
quent portages,  or  transporting  of  the  boats  and  lading  above  the  rapids 
by  land,  was  the  only  method  of  procedure.  Great  care  was  taken  from 
time  to  time  to  replenish  their  stock  of  provisions  so  far  as  possible,  from 
the  lakes,  and  by  means  of  the  rifles  of  the  hunters.  In  spite  of  this, 
however,  the  journey,  made  longer  by  the  necessarily  slow  progress,  be- 
came so  tiresome,  that  the  party  suffered  much  from  fatigue  and  lack  of 
food.  They  were  at  last  reduced  to  such  straits  that  the  Canadian  voy- 
agers absolutely  refused  to  go  farther,  unless  more  food  were  at  once  is- 
sued to  them.  Franklin  took  occasion  here  to  warn  them  that  in  case 
any  of  them  should  desert  or  refuse  to  accompany  the  expedition,  he 
would  certainly  cause  severe  punishment  to  be  inflicted  upon  them ;  and 
gave  them  a  thorough  admonition  not  to  further  hinder  the  progress  of 
the  party.  This  discussion  had  the  desired  effect,  and  thereafter  the 
Canadians  were  models  of  endurance  and  faithfulness.  The  hunters,  in 
the  meantime,  became  more  successful ;  fish  was  more  abundant ;  and  the 
spirits  of  the  party  being  raised  by  the  prospect  of  plenty  of  food,  some 
distance  was  completed  in  the  most  cheerful  manner  possible. 

But  a  new  difficulty  arose  which  effectually  thwarted  the  purpose  of 
the  leader  to  approach  the  seaboard  this  season.  On  the  25th  of  August, 
the  party  having  advanced  some  five  hundred  miles  from  Ft.  Chipewyan, 


208  THE   CHIEF  REFUSES   TO  GO  FURTHER. 

and  being  still  some  distance  from  the  Coppermine,  slight  evidences  of 
winter  began  to  appear.  The  little  pools  of  water  by  the  river  side  were 
frozen  over  and  the  vegetation  showed  signs  of  having  been  affected  by 
the  frost.  These  signs  soon  passed  away  with  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and 
would  have  been  forgotten,  had  not  the  Indian  chief  abruptly  declared 
that  he  and  his  hunters  would  go  no  further.  He  said  that  it  would  be 
a  useless  sacrifice  of  life  to  attempt  to  go  so  far  north  in  the  winter 
months;  that  geese  had  been  seen  flying  south,  and  that  winter  would 
speedily  be  upon  them.  Franklin  replied  to  this  that  he  had  instruments 
which  told  the  state  of  the  air,  and  by  which  they  .could  predict  the 
weather  beforehand;  and  that  he  was  not  inclined  to  believe  the  winter 
to  be  so  near  at  hand  as  the  chief  apprehended.  He  also  told  him  that 
they  should  at  least  reach  the  river,  in  order  to  take  observations  as  to 
its  size,  depth,  and  the  character  and  quantity  of  timber  upon  its  banks. 
He  informed  the  chief,  moreover,  that  an  eclipse  was  soon  to  take  place, 
and  that  it  could  be  much  more  favorably  witnessed  from  the  latitude  of 
the  Coppermine.  These  remarks,  however,  had  no  effect  upon  the  chief, 
who  continued :  "  If  after  all  that  I  have  said  you  are  determined  to 
sacrifice  your  life  and  the  lives  of  your  crew,  some  of  my  young  men 
shall  go  with  you;  for  it  shall  not  be  said  that  we  led  you  hither  and 
left  you  to  perish  alone.  But  if  they  go,  I  and  my  friends  will  from  the 
day  they  depart  mourn  them  as  dead."  Finding  the  chief  still  averse  to 
going  on,  and  fearing  a  rupture  with  the  Indians,  which  would  be  disas- 
trous to  them  in  their  great  need  of  guidance,  Franklin  determined  re- 
luctantly to  encamp  there  for  the  winter.  This  arrangement  completely 
satisfied  the  chief,  who  now  renewed  his  professions  of  loyalty  to  the 
expedition. 

After  a  consultation  with  the  officers  it  was  decided  to  send  a  party 
to  the  Coppermine,  to  ascertain  its  distance  and  size.  When  this  plan 
was  communicated  to  the  chief  he  readily  concurred,  and  offered  to  send 
some  of  his  hunters  to  procure  food  for  them.  Mr.  Back  and  Mr. 
Hood,  who  have  already  been  mentioned  in  the  narrative,  were  chosen  to 
take  charge  of  the  party.  An  Esquimaux  interpreter  having  been  in  the 
meantime  secured,  he,  with  one  Indian  as  guide,  and  eight  Canadian  voy- 


FOKT  ENTERPRISE. 


209 


210  A  PEDESTRIAN  TRIP   TO    THE  COPPERMINE. 

agers,  constituted  their  attendance;  fitted  up  with  canoes,  and  furnished 
in  the  most  comfortable  manner  possible  under  the  circumstances,  they 
set  out  toward  the  last  of  August.  Franklin's  regard  for  his  men,  and  his 
wisdom  in  planning,  are  alike  seen  in  his  instructions  to  the  party.  They 
were  to  proceed  as  far  as  the  Coppermine,  and  if  the  weather  was  not 
too  threatening,  to  embark  upon  it  and  descend  it  for  some  distance,  the 
object  being  to  gain  more  definite  knowledge  of  its  rapidity  and  the  best 
method  of  navigating  it.  In  no  case,  however,  were  they  to  go  so  far  as 
not  to  be  able  in  a  short  time  to  return;  and  if  the  water  proved  as  cold 
as  40°  they  were  to  return  at  once,  as  it  was  feared  that  the  canoes  might 
be  frozen  in,  thus  compelling  them  to  return  a  long  distance  on  foot. 

The  portion  of  the  party  that  remained  immediately  prepared  to  es- 
tablish permanent  winter  quarters  at  the  spot  where  they  were  en- 
camped. Huts  were  made,  which  in  addition  to  the  tents,  were  to  serve 
as  shelter.  The  flesh  and  skins  of  animals  were  gathered  to  serve  as 
food  and  clothing  which  the  Canadian  women  were  busy  in  preparing; 
and  the  barren,  deserted  plain  presented,  this  winter  at  least,  the  appear- 
ance of  a  bustling,  thriving  village.  Here,  in  the  reach  of  hostile  natives, 
and  greeted  nightly  by  the  howling  of  wild  beasts,  in  a  latitude  20° 
north  of  where  they  were  accustomed  to  spend  the  winter,  these  hardy 
men  made  ready  to  endure  six  months  of  the  northern  blast.  This  spot 
was  fitly  termed  Ft.  Enterprise. 

Shortly  after  the  party  above  referred  to  had  been  dispatched,  Frank- 
lin and  Dr.  Richardson  decided  to  take  a  pedestrian  trip  to  the  nearest 
point  of  the  Coppermine.  They  started  off  on  this  daring  project  accom- 
panied by  three  attendants,  carrying  camp  kettles  and  provisions.  Their 
guides  led  them  from  the  top  of  one  hill  to  the  top  of  another  in  as  di- 
rect a  course  as  the  numerous  lakes  with  which  the  country  is  inter- 
spersed, would  permit.  At  noon  of  the  first  day  a  remarkable  rock  with 
precipitous  sides  was  reached,  named  by  the  Indians  Dog-rib  Rock,  f  rom 
a  ferocious  tribe  of  Indians  who  inhabit  the  north  and  west.  The  lati- 
tude of  this  place  was  observed  to  be  64°  34'.  They  were  now  trav- 
eling through  a  country  almost  destitute  of  vegetation  or  animal  life. 
One  of  the  guides  killed  a  reindeer,  and  offered  the  rest  of  the  party,  as 


REPORT  OF  BACK  AND  HOOD.  211 

a  great  treat,  the  raw  marrow  from  the  hind  legs  of  the  animal,  of  which 
all  but  Franklin  partook.  He,  too,  however,  afterward  conquered  his 
fastidious  appetite  and  pronounced  it  delicious. 

The  small  quantity  of  bedclothing  brought  with  them,  induced  most 
of  the  party  to  sleep  without  undressing.  Old  Kes  Karrah,  the  Indian 
guide.,  followed  a  different  plan.  He  stripped  himself  to  the  skin,  and 
having  toasted  himself  over  the  embers  of  the  fire  for  a  short  time,  crept 
under  his  deerskin  and  rags,  previously  spread  out,  and  coiled  himself  up 
in  a  circular  form,  and  was  sound  asleep  almost  instantly.  So  the  journey 
to  the  Coppermine  continued,  the  travelers  sometimes  lying,  and  some- 
times sitting  down  to  sleep  at  nig-ht,  according  to  the  accommodations 
which  the  rough  ground  afforded.  The  fall  of  snow  was  almost  constant; 
and,  hindered  and  perplexed  by  this,  and  by  sprained  and  swollen  ankles, 
the  little  band  were  well  nigh  exhausted  when  at  last  they  arrived  once 
more  at  Ft.  Enterprise.  They  had  walked  about  150  miles. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  the  winter  quarters  they  found  that  the  party, 
headed  by  Back  and  Hood,  had  preceded  them  by  several  days.  This 
party  had  reached  the  shores  of  Point  Lake,  through  which  the  Copper- 
mine River  flows,  on  the  first  of  September.  They  proceeded  along  its 
shores  westward,  round  a  mountainous  promontory,  and  perceiving  the 
course  of  the  lake  to  be  northwest,  they  encamped  near  some  pines,  and 
enjoyed  their  first  good  fire  since  they  left. 

The  principal  object  of  their  investigation,  now,  was  to  discover 
whether  any  arm  of  the  lake  branched  nearer  the  fort  than  that  upon 
which  they  had  fallen,  to  which  the  transport  of  their  goods  might  be 
made  the  following  spring.  Having  satisfied  themselves  by  the  appear- 
ance of  the  mountains  that  further  examination  on  the  west  was  need- 
less, they  then  proceeded  eastward  until  the  6th.  Not  finding  any  part  of 
the  lake  nearer,  they  encamped  to  observe  the  eclipse  which  was  to  occur 
on  that  day,  but  a  violent  snowstorm  obscuring  that  phenomenon,  they 
retraced  their  steps  toward  the  fort,  where  they  arrived  the  day  after 
the  other  party  had  set  out. 

Thus  closed  the  voyages  of  1820,  the  expedition  having  traveled 
fifteen  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  since  leaving  Ft.  York  in  Sept.,  1819. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

JOURNEY  TO  THE    COPPERMINE VISIT    TO    THE    COPPER    MOUNTAINS 

CURIOUS    ADVENTURE    OF    DR.  RICHARDSON EMBARKING    ON    THE 

POLAR    OCEAN PT.    TURN  AGAIN THE     RETURN TERRIBLE    SUF- 
FERINGS   OF    THE     PARTY DR.    RICHARDSON      RISKS    HIS    LIFE    TO 

SAVE    THE    PARTY ARRIVAL    AT    FT.    ENTERPRISE. 

• 

In  the  summer  of  1821  the  party  again  set  out  for  the  Coppermine, 
which  was  reached,  without  accident  or  adventure  of  note,  in  the  latter 
part  of  June.  The  time  had  now  come  when  they  were  to  realize  the 
fulfillment  of  their  cherished  project,  and  they  soon  emharked  upon  the 
river  and  were  on  their  way  to  the  Polar  Ocean.  During  the  journey 
down  the  Coppermine  the  .Indians  were  invaluable  in  procuring  food  for 
the  party,  by  their  skill  in  hunting.  For  this  service  they  consented  to 
take  notes  on  the  Northwestern  Company,  payable  at  Ft.  Chipewyan, 
an  order  having  also  been  drawn  for  a  small  amount  of  clothing  as  an 
additional  present.  This  method  of  reimbursing  them  was  resorted  to 
because  those  articles  with  which  they  were  accustomed  to  be  paid  were 
growing  scanty,  and  it  was  desired  to  retain  them  for  trade  with  the 
Esquimaux. 

As  the  party  descended,  the  river  gradually  became  contracted  be- 
tween lofty  banks  to  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  yards  in  width,  and 
the  current  became  rapid  in  proportion  to  the  narrowness  of  the  stream. 
About  the  middle  of  July  they  arrived  at  some  rapids  which  had  been 
the  theme  of  discourse  among  the  Indians  for  several  days  previous,  and 
which  had  been  declared  by  them  to  be  impassable  for  canoes.  The 
river  here  was  found  to  descend  for  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  a  deep  but 
narrow  and  crowded  channel,  which  it  had  cut  through  the  foot  of  a  hill 
five  or  six  hundred  feet  in  height.  It  is  confined  between  perpendicular 

cliffs,  resembling   artificial  stone  walls,  varying  in  height  from   eighty  to 

212 


DR.  RICHAKDSON'S  ADVENTURE  WITH  WOLVES. 


213 


214  ADVENTURE   OF  DR.  RICHARDSON. 

one  hundred  feet,  on  which  lies  a  mass  of  fine  sand.  The  body  of  the 
river  pent  up  within  this  narrow  chasm,  dashed  furiously  around  the  pro- 
jecting rocky  columns,  and  discharged  itself  at  the  northern  extremity  in 
a  sheet  of  foam.  It  is  probable  that  the  Indians  in  reality  knew  little  of 
these  rapids;  for  the  canoes  when  lightened  of  their  burden  ran  through 
this  defile  without  sustaining  any  injury. 

In  the  course  of  the  descent  a  visit  was  made  to  the  Copper  Moun- 
tains. To  these  hills  the  Copper  Indians,  and,  it  was  reported,  the  Es- 
quimaux also,  were  accustomed  to  come  and  search  for  this  metal,  of 
which,  when  found  in  a  free  state,  they  could  make  various  useful  arti- 
cles. But  the  impracticability  of  navigating  this  river  from  its  source, 
and  the  absence  of  material  for  making  and  operating  a  smelter,  proved 
to  Franklin  and  his  men  that  any  considerable  mercantile  speculation  in 
this  enterprise  was  impossible. 

As  the  Esquimaux  country  was  approached,  the  expedition  advanced 
with  great  caution,  to  prevent  any  serious  collision  of  the  red  men  with 
their  Mongolian  neighbors.  Constant  watches  were  kept  day  and  night, 
and  the  officers  cheerfully  took  their  turns  with  the  rest  in  this  duty.  It 
was  on  one  of  these  occasions  that  Dr.  Richardson,  the  surgeon  of  the 
party,  met  with  the  following  curious  adventure :  "  One  night,  while  on 
the  first  watch,  he  had  seated  himself  on  a  hill  overhanging  the  river; 
his  thoughts  were  possibly  occupied  with  far  distant  scenes,  when  he  was 
aroused  by  an  indistinct  noise  behind  him,  and,  on  looking  round,  saw 
that  nine  white  wolves  had  arranged  themselves  in  the  form  of  a  crescent 
round  him,  and  were  advancing  apparently  with  the  intention  of  driving 
him  into  the  river.  He  had  his  gun  in  his  hand,  but  did  not  dare  fire  for 
fear  of  alarming  any  Esquimaux  who  might  be  in  the  neighborhood. 
Upon  his  rising  they  halted,  and  when  he  advanced  toward  them  in  a 
menacing  manner,  they  at  once  made  way  for  his  passage  down  to  the 
tents." 

Having  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine,  the  journey  of  explor- 
ation eastward,  and  the  final  return  to  the  west  and  south,  was  one 
almost  unbroken  series  of  terrible  sufferings,  hardships,  and  privations. 
On  the  aist  of  July,  with  only  fifteen  days'  provisions  on  board,  they 


POINT  TURNAGAIN.  215 

embarked  upon  the  open  sea,  intending,  if  possible,  to  reach  Repulse 
Bay,  a  distance  of  some  six  or  seven  hundred  miles  to  the  east.  But  they 
encountered  frightful  storms.  Their  boats  were  badly  shattered,  and 
their  provisions,  to  which  they  had  been  unable  to  add  any  amount, 
were  almost  gone.  The  crew  complained  bitterly,  and  it  would  seem 
that  the  climax  of  discouragement  had  been  reached  when  their  best 
boat  sank ;  the  crew,  and  what  scanty  supplies  they  had,  narrowly  escap- 
ing destruction.  Accordingly,  when  they  reached  a  place,  now  perti- 
nently called  "  Point  Turnagain,"  it  was  decided  to  steer  westward  at 
once,  to  Arctic  Sound,  and  by  ascending  Hood's  River,  to  gain  once 
more  the  interior.  Thence  they  sought  to  reach  Point  Lake  and  Ft. 
Enterprise,  their  previous  winter  quarters.  The  prospect  was  discourag- 
ing in  the  extreme,  for  winter  seemed  to  be  already  setting  in.  The 
hunters  found  no  game,  and  their  stock  of  pemmican  was  exceedingly 
limited.  In  spite  of  the  threatening  weather,  their  dilapidated  canoes 
and  exhausted  larder,  they  managed  to  push  on  till  at  last  they  entered 
Hood's  River. 

The  Canadians  could  not  restrain  their  joy  at  having  turned  their 
backs  on  the  sea,  and  they  spent  the  first  evening  in  talking  over  their 
past  adventures  with  much  humor  and  no  little  exaggeration.  They  had 
displayed  great  courage  in  encountering  the  dangers  of  the  sea,  magni- 
fied to  them  by  their  novelty.  The  poor  Frenchmen,  no  doubt,  found  a 
distressing  difference  between  the  frozen  plains  of  the  North,  and  the 
vineyards  of  their  "  Sunny  France,"  which  some  of  them,  perhaps, 
remembered. 

After  remodeling  two  canoes  from  the  remains  of  the  old  ones,  which 
had  been  rendered  almost  useless,  they  proceeded  on  foot  from  near  the 
mouth  of  Hood's  River  toward  Point  Lake,  150  miles  distant,  and  as  will 
be  remembered,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ft.  Enterprise.  It  is  impossible 
to  describe  the  sufferings  of  the  exhausted  crew  from  this  point.  They 
had  scarcely  set  out  when  a  bewildering  snowstorm  arose  which  so  em- 
barrassed their  progress  that  they  were  obliged  to  encamp  for  several 
days.  When  at  last  the  storm  abated,  and  they  attempted  to  advance, 
Franklin  fainted  from  hunger  and  sudden  exposure.  He  soon  revived, 


210  A    USELESS   TRANSPORT. 

however,  by  taking-  a  small  quantity  of  portable  soup,  pressed  upon  him 
by  the  kindness  of  the  men.  So,  with  their  wet  garments  freezing  to 
their  backs,  and  limbs  tottering  from  sheer  exhaustion,  they  went  mis- 
erably on.  The  men  who  carried  the  canoes  were  often  blown 
over,  and  at  one  of  these  times  the  best  canoe  was  broken  in  pieces. 
This  was  soon  utilized  by  making  a  fire  of  it  to  cook  the  little  remaining 
soup  and  arrow  root.  The  only  source  of  subsistence  left  them  was  the 
tripe-de-roche,  a  species  of  lichen  which  grows  upon  the  rocks  or  frozen 
earth.  This,  although  it  served  to  keep  life  in  them,  was  debilitating 
and  unwholesome.  An  incident  occurred  at  this  time  which  shows  that 
even  in  circumstances  as  trying  as  those  which  we  have  described,  the 
utmost  generosity  and  disinterestedness  may  be  shown.  One  day,  as  the 
officers  stood  shivering  around  a  small  fire,  and  suffering  intensely  from 
the  pangs  of  hunger,  Perrault,  a  Canadian,  produced  a  small  amount  of 
meat  which  he  had  saved  from  his  own  allowance,  and  presented  each 
of  them  with  a  piece  of  pemmican.  "  It  was  received,"  says  Franklin, 
"  with  great  thankfulness,  and  such  an  instance  of  self-denial  and  kind- 
ness filled  our  eyes  with  tears." 

At  length  they  reached  a  branch  of  the  Coppermine,  of  such  great 
width  and  rapidity  that  it  could  not  be  crossed  as  readily  as  the  smaller 
streams  which  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  fording  daily.  A  raft  had  to 
be  made,  whose  construction,  in  their  present  weakened  state,  occupied 
several  days.  What  was  their  disappointment  and  chagrin  to  find  that 
their  new  transport  was  useless;  they  could  not  get  it  across  the  river. 
Another  exhibition  of  self-sacrifice  was  then  made.  Dr.  Richardson 
volunteered  to  make  the  attempt  to  swim  across  the  river,  carrying  with 
him  a  line,  by  which  the  raft  could  be  drawn  across. 

He  launched  into  the  stream  with  the  line  around  his  waist;  but  when 
he  had  got  within  a  short  distance  of  the  opposite  bank,  his  arms  became 
numbed  with  cold,  and  he  lost  the  power  of  moving  them.  Still  he  per- 
severed, and,  turning  on  his  back,  had  nearly  gained  the  opposite  shore, 
whe.n  his  legs,  too,  became  powerless,  and  to  the  infinite  alarm  of  his 
comrades  on  shore,  he  began  to  sink.  They  instantly  hauled  upon  the 
line  and  he  came  upon  the  surface,  and  was  gradually  drawn  ashore  in 


PERRAULT  DIVIDING   HIS  STORE. 


217 


218  MURDER   OF  HOOD. 

an  almost  lifeless  state.  Being  rolled  up  in  blankets,  he  was  placed  be- 
fore a  good  fire  of  willows,  and  fortunately  was  just  able  to  speak 
enough  to  give  some  slight  directions  respecting  the  manner  of  treating 
him.  He  recovered  strength  after  a  time,  and  in  the  evening  was  able 
to  be  removed  to  his  tent.  It  was  then  found  that  his  whole  left  side 
was  deprived  of  feeling,  in  consequence  of  sudden  exposure  to  too  great 
heat.  He  did  not  recover  from  this  until  the  following  summer.  What 
all  felt,  upon  seeing  the  skeleton  shown  by  the  doctor  when  he  stripped, 
cannot  be  told  in  words.  His  condition,  as  well  as  that  of  the  rest,  may 
be  best  explained  by  an  extract  from  his  own  journal : 

"  It  may  be  worthy  of  remark,  that  I  should  have  had  little  hesitation 
in  any  former  period  of  my. life  at  plunging  into  water, — even  below  38° 
Fahrenheit;  but  at  this  time  I  was  reduced  almost  to  a  skeleton,  and  like 
the  rest  of  the  party,  suffered  from  degrees  of  cold  that  would  have  been 
disregarded  in  health  and  vigor.  During  the  whole  of  our  march,  we 
experienced  that  no  quantity  of  clothing  would  keep  us  warm  while  we 
fasted ;  but  on  those  occasions  on  which  we  were  enabled  to  go  to  bed 
with  full  stomachs,  we  passed  the  night  in  a  •  warm  and  comfortable 
manner." 

The  river  was  at  last  crossed,  but  a  great  depression  of  spirits  existed 
in  the  case  of  every  one.  Hood,  Richardson,  and  Back,  were  all  lame 
and  weak.  The  voyageurs  were  somewhat  more  vigorous,  but  did  not 
hope  to  come  out  of  the  wilderness  alive.  Finally,  Franklin  and  eight 
men  decided  to  push  on  toward  Ft.  Enterprise.  Three  of  these  died 
almost  at  once.  Franklin  succeeded  in  reaching  the  house,  but  found 
neither  occupants  nor  provisions.  In  eighteen  days  Back  and  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson came  up.  Hood  had  set  out  with  a  party  of  three  Canadians  and 
one  Indian.  A  short  time  after  his  body  was  found  with  evidences  that 
he  had  been  murdered.  The  three  Canadians  were  never  seen  again. 
As  Michel,  the  Indian  guide,  remained  strong  and  vigorous,  it  was 
thought  he  had  murdered  the  rest  of  the  party  and  feasted  upon  their 
bodies.  As  soon  as  this  suspicion  was  confirmed  he  was  promptly  shot 
by  Dr.  'Richardson.  A  partridge,  killed  by  Hepburn,  was  all  the  meat 
that  the  party  last  arriving  at  the  Fort  had  tasted  for  six  weeks.  Parts 


RETURN   TO  ENGLAND. 


219 


of  their  boots  and  clothing  had  been  consumed  during  the  march,  and 
soup  made  out  of  old  bones  and  skin  was  considered  a  luxury. 

Help  and  supplies  at  last  arrived,  but  not  until  several  more  of  the 
unfortunate  party  had  perished.  The  hardships  of  the  survivors,  how- 
ever, were  now  over.  Communication  could  now  be  had  with  the  posts 
of  the  fur  companies,  and  the  persons  employed  at  these  points  were  con- 
strained to  the  greatest  kindness  possible  when  they  saw  the  pitiable 
condition  of  the  unfortunate  crew.  The  Canadians  were  sent  home 
at  once,  being  paid  in  orders  upon  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 
The  officers  of  the  party  were  obliged  to  remain  some  time  at  one  of  the 
forts  before  they  were  able  to  travel  far.  Their  feet  and  limbs  were 
swollen,  digestion  and  assimilation  were  impaired,  and  racking  rheuma- 
tism was  common  from  the  severe  and  prolonged  exposure.  Through 
the  kindness  of  the  company's  agents,  their  health  was  at  last  restored, 
and  they  proceeded  to  England,  where  they  arrived  safely  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1822 — with  the  exception  of  the  gallant  Hood,  whose  fate  we 
have  related  above. 

Thus  terminated  Franklin's  first  voyage,  being  as  far  as  possible  a 
faithful  execution  of  the  plan,  as  it  has  already  been  communicated  to 
the  reader. 

An  account  of  the  next  voyage  of  this  gallant  explorer  will  be  given 
in  a  following  chapter. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

RUSSIAN  ARCTIC  VOYAGES LAPTEW  BROTHERS FAILURE  OF  SCHA- 

LAROW REMAINS  OF  MAMMOTH ARCTIC  VOYAGES  OF  BILLINGS 

PLUNDERED  BY  NATIVES FREQUENCY  OF  ANIMAL   REMAINS 

— KOTZEBUE'S  VOYAGE  —  UNWELCOME  HOSPITALITY — A  UNIQUE 

ISLAND. 

Our  last  reference  to  Russian  Arctic  exploration  was  an  account  of 
the  final  voyage  of  Behring  in  1741.  But  little  was  afterward  done  by 
the  Russians  in  the  way  of  organized  effort  in  this  direction,  until  the 
period  at  which  we  have  now  arrived.  The  whole  of  the  Arctic  coast  of 
Russia,  including  Siberia,  had,  however,  been  discovered  piecemeal  by 
fur  traders  and  adventurers.  "These  skins,"  says  a  Russian  writer, 
"were  the  golden  fleece  of  those  days  and  of  those  regions,  and  tempted 
not  only  Cossacks  and  fur-hunters  to  brave  the  severest  hardships,  but 
even  induced  persons  of  much-  higher  rank  to  leave  their  families  and 
abandon  the  conveniences  of  life,  in  order  to  plunge  into  the  fearful  and 
unknown  wildernesses  of  Siberia  in  the  hope  of  enriching  themselves  by 
this  trade.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  the  national  character,  however,  that 
their  desire  of  gain  never  drove  them  to  the  atrocities  of  which  the  gold- 
seeking  conquerors  of  Mexico  and  Peru  were  guilty." 

Thus  gradually  had  been  explored  two-fifths  of  the  whole  Arctic 
coast,  from  the  White  Sea  to  Behring's  Strait.  Piece  by  piece,  too, 
had  a  great  portion,  if  not  all  of  it,  been  surveyed  by  orders  of  the  gov- 
ernment; and  much  valuable  information  in  relation  to  the  country  and  its 
various  aboriginal  tribes  had  been  gleaned  and  collected  through  officials 
and  private  adventurers.  At  the  very  date  of  Behring's  voyage,  the 
brothers  Laptew  were  winning  distinction  as  explorers  in  those  regions. 
Lieutenant  Charlton  Laptew,  in  May,  1741,  sailed  down  the  Taimur 
River  to  its  mouth,  which  he  ascertained  to  be  in  latitude  75°  36'.  He 

230 


FAILURE   OF  SCHALAROW.  221 

had  been  engaged  since  1739  in  exploring  the  coast  west  of  the  Lena, 
having  been  appointed  to  succeed  Prontschischtschew,  who  had  tried  in 
vain  to  double  the  icy  cape  of  Taimur  Peninsula,  and  had  been  employed 
in  exploring  those  inhospitable  shores  since  1734.  Dimitri  Laptew  had 
been  similarly  engaged  farther  to  the  east  since  1736.  Having  doubled 
the  Sviatoi  Noss  of  Siberia,  he  spent  his  first  winter  on  the  Indigirka 
River,  about  ten  degrees  farther  east,  and  in  latitude  71°.  Proceeding 
thence  he  examined  and  surveyed  the  coast  and  the  Bear  Islands,  winter- 
ing on  the  Kolyma  River. 

He  had  been  preceded  in  those  regions  by  Paulusky,  in  1731.  For 
two  successive  seasons  Laptew  now  labored  in  vain  to  double  Baranow 
Rocks,  and  returned  at  length  to  lakoutsk  in  1 743,  after  a  sojourn  of 
seven  years  on  the  shore  of  the  Arccic  Ocean.  In  1758  Schalarovv,  a 
merchant  of  lakoutsk,  sailed  from  the  Yana  River,  in  a  vessel  built  at 
his  own  expense,  and  succeeded  in  doubling  the  Baranow  Rocks,  but 
failed  to  make  Cape  Schelagskoi.  Again  he  tried  and  again  was  driven 
back  from  that  icy  goal  of  his  ambition;  and  the  third  time,  in  1760, 
his  crew  refused  to  support  him.  In  1 763  Sergeant  Andrejew,  a  Cos- 
sack, who  had  been  on  the  Indigirka  and  the  Bear  Islands,  reported 
that  he  had  discovered,  thirty  miles  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Krestovoi, 
in  the  estuary  of  the  Kolyma,  a  group  of  inhabited  islands,  with  the  re- 
mains of  a  fort,  and  traces  of  a  large  population  at  some  previous  time. 
In  0764  Schalarow  started  anew  to  solve  his  personal  problem  of  doub- 
ling Cape  Schelagskoi,  but  did  not  return.  "His  unfortunate  death  (from 
starvation  it  is  said)  is  the  more  to  be  lamented,"  says  Wrangell,  "as 
he  sacrificed  his  property  and  life  to  a  disinterested  aim,  and  united  intel- 
ligence and  energy  in  a  remarkable*  degree."  The  same  year  Admiral 
Tschitschagow  failed  in  his  effort  to  sail  around  the  Spitzbergen  group. 
In  1767  Leontjew,  Lyssow,  and  Pushkarow  surveyed  the  coast  near 
the  Kolyma. 

Meanwhile,  on  the  Kamchatka  side,  the  fur-traders  in  quest  of  prod- 
ucts for  their  profitable  commerce  with  China  and  Japan,  had  gradu- 
ally discovered  the  islands  of  the  North  Pacific;  Norvodiskow,  the 
West  Aleutian,  in  1745;  Paikow,  the  Fox,  in  1759;  Tolstych,  the  cen- 


222  V OT AGES   OF  BILLINGS. 

tral  group  called  by  his  name,  in  1760;  Glottow,  Kadiak,  in  1763;  and 
Kreinitzin,  Aliaska  Peninsula,  in  1768.  In  1770  a  merchant  named 
Lachow  or  Liakov,  while  gathering  a  cargo  of  fossil  ivory  about  Svia- 
toi  Noss,  saw  a  herd  of  reindeer  making  for  the  Siberian  coast  from  the 
north,  and  rightly  judged  they  must  have  come  from  land.  Proceeding 
in  his  sledge  over  the  ice,  guided  by  their  tracks,  he  discovered  at  a 
distance  of  forty  miles  from  the  cape  he  had  left,  an  island,  and  twelve 
miles  farther  a  second,  both  wonderfully  rich  in  mammoth  teeth.  Duly 
reporting  to  the  government  and  securing  from  it  the  exclusive  privilege 
to  dig  for  mammoth  bones  in  the  islands  he  had  found,  Lachow  re- 
turned, in  1773,  and  had  the  good  fortune  to  discover  the  largest  of  the 
three  which  still  bear  his  name.  "The  whole  soil  of  the  first  of  these 

islands,"  says  Saunikow,  "appears  to  consist  of  these  remains." 
t 

BILLINGS'  ARCTIC  VOYAGES. 

The  great  Empress  of  Russia,  Catharine  II.,  in  her  numerous  projects 
for  the  promotion  of  commerce,  with  the  comprehensive  sagacity  for 
which  she  was  distinguished,  could  not  fail  to  recognize  the  value  of  ex- 
ploration, especially  within  what  she  regarded  as  her  empire.  In  fur- 
therance of  her  design,  Joseph  Billings,  who  had  been  with  Cook  in  his 
last  voyage,  was  induced  to  enter  the  Russian  naval  service,  and  in  1 787 
was  intrusted  with  an  expedition  for  the  examination  of  the  north  coast 
of  Siberia  from  the  Kolyma  River  to  Behring's  Straits.  Captain  Saryt- 
chew,  a  Russian,  was  placed  in  subordinate  command  of  one  of  the  two 
vessels  constituting  the  expedition.  They  sailed  down  the  Kolvma  on 
the  opening  of  navigation,  and  were  much  harassed  by  ice  and  overflow, 
which  drove  them  sometimes  into  the  inundated  bottom-lands.  Reach- 
ing the  ocean  they  pushed  to  the  east,  getting,  however,  to  only  a  few 
leagues  beyond  Baranow  Rocks.  The  Russian  captain  volunteered  to 
proceed  further  by  boat,  but  Billings  deemed  the  project  unfeasible  be- 
cause of  the  ice,  and  returned  to  lakoutsk,  leaving  his  vessels  aground 
in  the  Kolyma.  He  was,  however,  intrusted  with  a  second  expedition 
to  explore  the  islands  of  the  North  Pacific,  two  vessels  being  built  for 
that  purpose  at  Okhotsk.  In  June,  1790,  Billings  visited  the  Aleutian 


DESCRIPTION  OF  NATIVES.  223 

Islands.,  where  he  found  the  natives  so  cruelly  treated  by  the  Russian  and 
Cossack  fur-traders,  that  he  felt  compelled  to  make  an  energetic  re- 
monstrance to  the  home  government.  Despite  his  efforts  and  those  of 
the  central  authority,  the  local  oppression  continued  without  serious 
abatement,  and  there,  as  elsewhere,  the  aborigines  have  been  almost  to- 
tally extinguished  by  overwork  and  virtual  slavery  to  the  whites.  From 
the  Bay  of  Saint  Lawrence,  Billings  proceeded  overland  on  the  I3th  of 
August  to  explore  and  survey  the  Tchuktchi  Peninsula.  His  efforts 
were  weak  and  fruitless;  his  journeys  short,  and  stoppages  frequent;  and 
he  won  no  favor  with  the  natives.  Jealous  of  the  Russian  surveyors' 
chains,  which  they  considered  typical  of  the  chains  of  slavery,  they  did 
not  hesitate  to  wrest  them  from  their  unwelcome  visitors,  whom  they 
would  not  suffer  to  write  any  notes  or  observations  as  far  as  they  could 
prevent,  so  that  the  exploration  proved  abortive.  Sauer,  the  historian  of 
the  expedition,  relates  a  few  incidents:  "We  passed  three  villages,  and 
halted  at  a  fourth  for  the  night.  The  huts  were  dug  under  ground, 
covered  with  earth,  of  a  square  form,  with  a  fireplace  in  the  middle, 
and  four  large  stones  made  the  hearth.  We  were  obliged  to  treat  with 
them  for  water,  and  for  fuel  to  boil  our  food,  and  to  pay  for  it  imme- 
diately. Observing  our  good  nature  and  want  of  power,  they  took  a 
liking  to  the  buttons  on  our  coats,  and  cut  them  off  without  ceremony. 
The  men  were  tall  and  stout,  and  the  warrior  had  his  legs  and  arms 
punctured.  The  women  were  well  made,  and  above  the  middle  size; 
healthy  in  their  appearance;  and  by  no  means  disagreeable  in  their  per- 
sons; their  dress  was  a  doe's  skin,  with  the  hair  on,  and  one  garment 
covered  their  limbs  and  the  whole  body.  They  wore  their  hair  parted, 
and  in  two  plaits,  one  hanging  over  each  shoulder,  their  arms  and  face 
being  neatly  punctured."  Captain  Billings  was  still  in  lakoutsk  in  1793, 
but  his  explorations  by  land  or  sea  did  not  add  much  to  the  volume  of 
geographical  information,  and  his  chief  merit  lies  in  his  humane  effort  to 
ameliorate  the  unhappy  condition  of  the  oppressed  natives  in  the  Aleu- 
tian Islands. 

The  group  of  islands  known  as  the   Archipelago  of  New   Siberia, 
was  discovered  by  Sirawatsky  in  1806,  and  explored   by  Hedenstrom  in 


224 


A  MAMMOTH.  225 

1809.  They  lie  almost  due  north  from  Yana  Bay,  east  of  the  delta  of 
the  Lena,  between  latitude  73°  and  76°,  and  longitude  135°  to  150°. 
They  are  generally  rocky,  and  are  covered  all  the  year  round  with  snow, 
without  bush  or  tree  anywhere.  They  are  uninhabited,  but  with  traces 
of  former  population,  as  well  as  of  large  trees  and  fossilized  charcoal. 

Their  chief  importance  now  is  due  to  the  immense  quantities  of  fossil 
ivory,  or  bones  of  the  mammoth,  which  are  found  embedded  in  the  soil. 
According  to  Hedenstrom's  account,  the  tusks  are  smaller  and  lighter, 
but  at  the  same  time  more  numerous  toward  the  north  of  the  islands, 
and  often  weigh  only  three  or  four  poods — 108  to  144  pounds — while  on 
the  main  land  of  Siberia,  it  is  said,  there  have  been  found  tusks  which 
weighed  twelve  poods,  or  43^2  pounds  avoirdupois!  To  this  larger 
growth  must  have  belonged  the  mammoth  discovered  in  1799,  by 
Schumachow,  one  of  the  Tungusian  nomads,  while  searching  for  fossil 
ivory  near  Lake  Ancoul.  In  1803  the  ice  in  which  it  had  been  enveloped 
having  gradually  melted  away,  this  huge  carcass  fell  on  a  sand  bank, 
where  its  flesh  was  so  well  preserved  that  it  afforded  acceptable  food  for 
dogs  and  beasts  for  at  least  three  seasons.  In  1804  the  original  discov- 
erer carried  away  the  tusks,  which  he  sold  for  about  forty  dollars.  In 
1806  Adams  found  it  where  it  had  fallen,  in  a  mutilated  condition,  but 
not  entirely  divested  of  flesh.  The  skeleton  wrls,  however,  complete, 
except  one  foreleg  and  some  joints  of  the  tail.  About  one-fourth  of  the 
skin  had  disappeared,  but  the  remainder  required  the  united  efforts  of  ten 
men  to  remove  it  to  the  shore,  a  distance  of  only  fifty  yards.  It  was  of 
a  dark  gray  color,  and  was  covered  with  a  short,  curly,  reddish  wool, 
besides  some  long  black  hairs,  resembling  bristles,  which  varied  in 
length  from  one  to  eighteen  inches.  The  animal  was  a  male,  and  had  a 
long  mane;  and  the  whole  body  was  eventually  taken  to  St.  Petersburg 
to  grace  the  imperial  museum,  while  samples  of  its  wool  were  sent  to 
the  principal  museums  throughout  Europe.  The  tusks  were  repurchased 
by  the  government,  and  replaced  in  their  original  sockets.  Its  chief 
measurements  are:  From  the  forehead  to  the  end  of  the  mutilated  tail, 
sixteen  feet,  four  inches;  height  to  the  top  of  the  dorsal  spines,  nine  feet, 

four  inches;  the  length  of  the   tusks  along  the  curvature,  nine  feet,  six 
15 


226  THE  RURIK. 

inches.  Besides  the  remains  of  the  Elephas  Primigenius,  as  it  is  scien- 
tifically named — or  primogenial  elephant,  as  it  might  be  popularly  called, 
had  not  the  word  mammoth  taken  its  permanent  place  in  our  literature 
— the  bones  of  the  rhinoceros,  buffalo,  horse,  ox,  and  even  sheep,  have 
been 'found,  all  demonstrating  that  there  was  a  time  when  the  Arctic 
regions  could  have  been  easily  explored  had  there  only  been  men  to  do 
it.  And  when  the  men  came — though,  according  to  the  native  legend, 
"  there  were  once  more  hearths  of  the  Omoki  on  the  shore  of  the  Kolyma, 
than  there  are  stars  in  the  clear  sky  " — they  were  hardly  the  men  to  busy 
themselves  overmuch  with  scientific  researches,  or  to  leave  records  to 
posterity.  The  Omoki  have  now  disappeared  from  even  the  mainland, 
and  the  islands  of  New  Siberia  are  alike  -untenantable  by  man  or  beast. 

KOTZEBUE'S  ARCTIC  VOYAGE. 

To  these  surveys  of  the  northern  coast  and  islands  of  Siberia  was 
added  a  genuine  Arctic  voyage  of  exploration  in  1815.  To  the  public 
spirit  and  zeal  for  knowledge  of  Count  Nicholas  Romanzof,  pr  Riov- 
mantsof,  who  had  been  made  Secretary  of  State  in  1807,  was  Russia  in- 
debted for  this  expedition.  It  consisted  of  one  vessel  of  180  tons,  which 
was  intrusted  to  Lieut.  Otto  Von  Kotzebue,  son  of  the  celebrated 
German  dramatist  of  that  name.  He  had  accompanied  Krusenstern  in 
his  voyage  around  the  world,  1803-6.  As  his  chief  companions  the 
scientific  count  had  secured  the  poet  and  naturalist,  Chamisso,  and  the 
physician  and  naturalist,  Eschscholtz.  Twenty-two  men  constituted  the 
crew  of  their  ship,  the  "  Rurik,"  so  named  in  honor  of  the  first  king 
of  Russia,  the  famous  Varangian  chief  or  Norse  Viking,  who  founded 
the  first  Russian  dynasty  953  years  before.  They  left  Plymouth,  Eng- 
land, in  October,  1815,  and  in  March,  1816,  arrived  off  Waihu  or 
Easter  Island,  about  800  leagues  west  of  Chili — 27°  6'  south,  by  109° 
17'  west — where  they  were  prevented  from  landing  by  the  natives,  who 
were  embittered  by  the  injuries  received  at  the  hands  of  foreign  visitors. 
On  the  1 7th  of  June  they  reached  the  Bay  of  Avatcha,  and  pushing 
north,  landed  on  St.  Lawrence  Island  on  the  27th.  The  inhabitants 


UNWELCOME  HOSPITALITT.  227 

had  never  had  any  intercourse  with  Europeans,  and  now  received  the 
visitors  with  great  friendliness  and  unwelcome  hospitality. 

"  So  long  as  the  naturalists  wandered  about  on  the  hills,"  says  Kotze- 
bue,  "I  staid  with  my  acquaintances,  who,  when  they  found  that  I  was 
the  commander,  invited  me  into  their  tents.  Here  a  dirty  skin  was 
spread  on  the  floor,  on  which  I  had  to  sit,  and  then  they  came  in,  one  af- 
ter the  other,  embraced  me,  rubbed  their  noses  hard  against  mine,  and 
finished  their  caresses  by  spitting  on  their  hands,  and  then  striking  me 
several  times  over  the  face.  Although  these  proofs  of  friendship  gave 
me  very  little  pleasure,  I  bore  all  patiently;  the  only  thing  I  did  to 
lighten  their  caresses  somewhat,  was  to  distribute  tobacco  leaves.  These 
the  natives  received  with  great  pleasure,  but  they  wished  immediately  to 
renew -their  proofs  of  friendship.  Now  I  betook  myself  with  speed  to 
knives,  scissors,  and  beads,  and  by  distributing  some,  succeeded  in  avert- 
ing a  new  attack.  But  a  still  greater  calamity  awaited,  when,  in  order 
to  refresh  me  bodily,  they  brought  forward  a  wooden  tray  with  whale 
blubber.  Nauseous  as  this  food  is  to  a  European  stomach,  I  boldly  at- 
tacked the  dish.  This,  along  with  new  presents  which  I  distributed,  im- 
pressed the  seal  on  the  friendly  relations  between  us.  After  the  meal, 
our  hosts  made  arrangeinents  for  dancing  and  singing,  which  was  ac- 
companied on  a  little  tambourine."  Two  days  later,  as  they  sailed  away 
to  the  north,  past  the  island,  the  natives  killed  a  dog  in  view  of  them, 
perhaps  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  departing  Europeans. 

Passing  through  Behring's  Strait,  they  arrived  on  the  ist  of  August 
within  a  broad  bay  or  inlet,  beginning  at  66°  42'  30"  by  164°  14' 
50",  which  they  proceeded  to  explore  with  great  zeal,  hoping  per- 
chance to  find  the  long-sought  communication  with  the  Atlantic.  They 
spent  a  fortnight  in  its  survey,  and  thought  at  one  time  to  find  a  passage 
south  to  Norton  Sound.  It  proved,  however,  to  be  everywhere  sur- 
rounded by  land,  and  was  named  Kotzebue  Sound,  while  a  considerable 
island  and  bay  discovered  during  their  exploration  were  named  respec- 
tively Chamisso  and  Eschscholtz,  in  honor  of  his  companions,  the  natural- 
ists. The  attention  of  these  gentlemen  was  attracted  to  a  remarkable — 
and  as  far  as  known  unique — island.  It  had  an  elevation  of  about  100 


228  DEATH  OF  KOTZEBUE. 

feet,  and  the  appearance  of  a  chalk  cliff,  but  on  closer  observation  proved 
to  be  a  mass  of  ice,  on  which  had  been  deposited  in  the  course  of  ages,  a 
layer  of  blue  clay  and  turf-earth,  only  six  inches  thick,  but  covered  with 
luxuriant  vegetation.  "The  ice  must  have  been  several  hundred  thou- 
sand years  old,"  says  Nordenskiold,  in  describing  this  find;  "for  on  its  be- 
ing melted  a  large  number  of  bones  and  tusks  of  the  mammoth  appeared, 
from  which  we  may  draw  the  conclusion  that  the  ice  stratum  was  formed 
during  the  period  in  which  the  mammoth  lived  in  these  regions."  Its 
ascertained  latitude  was  66°  15'  36",  and  it  was  thoroughly  re-exam- 
ined by  Dr.  Collie,  the  surgeon  of  Beechey's  expedition  in  1827,  and  still 
later  by  the  traveler  Dall. 

Leaving  Kofeebue  Sound  on  the  I5th  of  August,  for  the  Asiatic  side, 
they  beheld  the  wide-spread  Arctic  Ocean,  quite  free  from  ice  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  and  might  perhaps  have  reached  what  is  now 
known  as  Wrangell  Land,  had  they  pushed  boldly  to  the  north.  A 
contrary  course  was  taken,  and  returning  through  Behring's  Strait,  they 
wintered  far  to  the  south  on  one  of  the  group  of  islands  to  which  Chat- 
ham, Calvert,  and  Nautilus  belong.  In  1817  Kotzebue  set  out  for  the 
north,  but  being  violently  thrown  against  one  of  the  ship's  timbers  in  a 
gale,  he  lost  his  health  and  courage,  and  other  difficulties  not  being 
wanting,  he  returned  to  Europe  without  having  again  penetrated  the 
Polar  Sea,  arriving  at  home  in  1818.  He  made  a  voyage  around  the 
world,  1823-6,  which  is  foreign  to  our  subject,  and  died  in  1846,  in  his 
fiftieth  year. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

RUSSIAN    EXPEDITIONS WRANGELL WOOD    HILLS DESCENT    OF    THE 

LENA FATHER    MICHEL CLOTHING    FOR    WINTER    PROCURED — 

START    FOR    CAPE     SCHELAGSKOI A    SLEDGE    LOADED TENTING 

IN     THE     ARCTIC     REGIONS  SEVERE     COLD  RETURN     RIVER  — 

TRADING    BRANDY  TO  NATIVES A  SIBERIAN    FAIR UNWELCOME 

HOSPITALITY A    TCHUKTCHI    DANCE. 

Two  small  exploring  expeditions,  or  rather  one  expedition  in  two 
livisions,  was  organized  by  the  Russian  naval  department  in  1820,  each 
inder  command  of  a  lieutentant,  with  two  junior  officers,  a  medical  offi- 
cer, who  was  also  to  be  a  naturalist,  and  two  seamen,  one  a  smith  and 
ic  other  a  carpenter.  Their  instructions,  including  explanatory  pream- 
)le,  were  as  follows:  "  From  the  journals  and  reports  of  all  other  expe- 
litions  undertaken  to  the  Polar  Ocean,  it  appears  that  it  is  impossible  to 
navigate  it  for  scientific  purposes  even  in  summer,  owing  to  the  presence 
of  immense  quantities  of  drift-ice.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  known  that 
>ergeant  Andrejew  drove  over  the  ice  in  the  spring  of  1763  with 
ledges;  and  the  same  was  done  by  Messrs.  Hedenstrom  and  Pschen- 
izyn  in  1809,  1810  and  1811,  when  the  former  surveyed  the  Bear 
Islands,  and  the  latter  the  Lachow  Islands  and  New  Siberia.  As  this 
appears  to  be  the  only  practical  plan  for  the  execution  of  His  Impe- 
rial Majesty's  desire,  its  adoption  has  been  resolved  on  by  the  depart- 
ment of  the  admiralty  with  respect  to  the  expedition  now  to  be  sent. 
Accordingly  the  first  division  of  that  expedition  is  directed  to  proceed  in 
sledges  to  survey  the  coast  eastward  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kolyma  as 
far  as  Cape  Schelagskoi,  and  thence  to  proceed  in  a  northerly  direc- 
tion, in  order  to  ascertain  whether  an  inhabited  country  exists  in  that 
quarter,  as  asserted  by  the  Tchuktchi  and  others." 

The    first    division    was   intrusted    to    Lieutenant    Ferdinand    Von 

229 


230  WOOD  HILLS. 

Wrangell,  with  the  midshipman  Matinschkin,  the  mate  Kosmin,  two 
seamen — one  a  carpenter  and  the  other  a  smith — and  Dr.  Kyber,  sur- 
geon and  naturalist,  as  subordinates.  The  second  was  placed  in  charge 
of  Lieut.  Peter  Feodorovitch  Anjou,  with  the  mate  Ilgin  and  Dr.  Figu- 
rin,  surgeon  and  naturalist,  as  subordinates.  The  results  attained  by  the 
second  division  were  never  formally  published,  as  their  papers  were  acci- 
dentally burnt.  It  is,  however,  known  that  they  failed  to  discover  the 
"inhabited  country  in  a  northerly  direction,  as  alleged  by  the  Tchuk- 
tchi  and  others,"  which  was  the  main  object  of  both  sections  of  the 
expedition,  and  that  they  surveyed  the  New  Siberia  Islands.  The 
remarkable  Wood  Hills  of  those  islands  are  thus  referred  to  by  Anjou : 
"  They  form  a  steep  declivity  twenty  fathoms  high,  extending  about  rive 
versts  (three  miles)  along  the  coast.  In  this  bank,  which  is  exposed  to 
the  sea,  beams  or  trunks  of  trees  are  found,  generally  in  a  horizontal  posi- 
tion, but  with  great  irregularity,  fifty  or  more  of  them  together,  the 
largest  being  about  ten  inches  in  diameter.  The  wood  is  not  very 
hard,  is  friable,  has  a  black  color,  and  a  slight  gloss.  When  laid  on 
the  fire  it  does  not  burn  with  a  flame,  but  glimmers,  and  emits  a  res- 
inous odor."  They  had  been  similarly  described  by  Hedenstrom  in 
1811,  who  adds  some  particulars  not  given  by  Anjou:  "They  are 
thirty  fathoms  high,  and  consist  of  horizontal  strata  of  sandstone,  alter- 
nating with  strata  of  bituminous  beams  or  trunks  of  trees.  On  ascend- 
ing these  hills  fossilized  charcoal  is  everywhere  met  with,  covered  appar- 
ently with  ashes;  but  on  closer  examination  this  ash  is  also  found  to  be  a 
petrifaction,  and  so  hard  that  it  can  scarcely  be  scraped  off  with  a  knife. 
On  the  summit  another  curiosity  is  found,  namely,  a  long  row  of  beams 
resembling  the  former,  but  fixed  perpendicularly  in  the  sandstone.  The 
ends,  which  project  from  seven  to  ten  inches,  are  for  the  most  part 
broken.  The  whole  has  the  appearance  of  a  ruinous  dike."  These  cu- 
rious remains  afford  strong  presumptive  evidence,  that  sometime  in  the 
vast  geological  ages  of  the  past,  those  regions  enjoyed  a  far  more  tem- 
perate climate  than  now;  It  is  not  impossible  that  another  revolution  of 
the  globe  is  slowly  progressing,  whereby  all  parts  of  the  earth's  surface 
successively  pass  under  the  north  pole  of  the  heavens. 


DESCENT  OF  THE  LENA. 


231 


The  members  of  the  expedition  left  St.  Petersburg  on  the  4th  of 
April,  1 820, 'and  proceeded  together  as  far  as  Moscow,  where  Anjou  and 
Kosmin  remained  behind  to  procure  the  necessary  instruments  for  both 
divisions.  Wrangell  and  Matinschkin  pushed  on  to  Irkoutsk,  making 
the  journey  of  3482  English  miles  from  St.  Petersburg  in  fifty-six  days. 
In  June  they  were  rejoined  by  the  other  members  of  the  expedition,  and 
on  the  yth  of  July  Wrangell's  party  left  the  capital  of  Siberia.  On  the 
ninth,  having  made  a  rapid  land  journey  of  136  miles,  they  reached 


BARON   VON   WRANGELL. 


Kotschuga,  on  the  Lena,  which  there  becomes  navigable.  The  next  day 
they  began  the  descent  of  the  great  river,  and  on  the  4th  of  August 
arrived  at  lakoutsk,  having  been  twenty-five  days  making  a  distance  of 
1442  miles.  This  city  is  the  great  center  of  the  interior  trade  of  Eastern 
Siberia.  About  the  middle  of  August  Anjou's  division  reached  la- 
koutsk, and  Matinschkin  went  forward  in  advance  of  his  chief  to  Nishni, 
— that  is,  Lower — Kolymsk,  Wrangell  following  on  the  24th  of  Septem- 
ber. His  route  now  lay  across  country  to  the  northeast,  and  measured 


232  FATHER  MICHEL. 

over  i, 200  miles,  occupying  fifty-one  days.  Wrangell  arrived  at  his  base 
of  operations,  Lower  Kolymsk — latitude  68°  32',  longitude  160°  35' — on 
the  i4th  of  November,  having  made  a  journey  of  6,300  miles  from  St. 
Petersburg  in  224  days,  of  which  thirty-six  were  spent  at  Irkoutsk  and 
forty-nine  at  lakoutsk,  besides  minor  stoppages.  The  journey  was  made  on 
horseback,  Wrangell  and  his  two  companions  heading  a  cavalcade  of  ten 
pack-horses  strung  together,  the  first  and  last  only  having  drivers.  Be- 
tween that  city  and  the  Aldan  River  the  people  were  Jakuts  of  Tartar 
origin ;  beyond  the  Verchoiausk  Mountains  they  met  some  Tunguses,  also 
of  Tai'tar  origin.  In  crossing  the  mountains  they  encountered  about  equal 
difficulty  in  climbing  precipices  and  clearing  a  passage  through  the  deep 
snow  in  the  ravines.  On  the  ninth  of  October  they  crossed  the  Yana, 
and  on  the  i5th,  at  the  station  of  Tabalog,  met  Dr.  Tomaschewski,  who 
was  on  his  return  to  civilization  after  three  years'  service  at  Nishni  Ko- 
lymsk. On  the  22d  they  crossed  the  Indigirka  at  Saschiversk,  where  they 
enjoyed  for  two  days  the  hospitality  of  the  venerable  Father  Michel, 
aged  eighty -seven,  who,  in  a  residence  of  forty  years  had  baptized  and 
instructed  in  the  doctrines  of  Christanity,  about  15,000  Jakuts,  Tunguses 
and  Jukahires.  Next  reaching  Lake  Orinkino,  they  entered  the  district  of 
Kolymsk,  and  traveling  150  miles  over  an  entirely  uninhabited  waste,  for 
the  most  part  but  little  better  than  a  frozen  morass,  they  arrived  at  the 
Alasei  Range,  which  constitutes  the  watershed  between  the  river  of  that 
name  and  the  Indigirka. 

At  Sardach  station  on  the  2d  of  November,  Wrangell  heard  the  first 
tidings  of  Matinschkin's  safe  arrival  at  his  destination,  and  of  the  prepa- 
rations he  was  there  making  for  the  expedition.  Crossing  a  low  range 
of  hills  which  divide  the  waters  of  the  Alasei  from  the  Kolyma,  they  ar- 
rived at  the  latter  river  on  the  6th,  at  the  town  of  Sredne  Kolymsk,  the 
official  headquarters  of  the  district.  Here  a  day  was  spent  in  procuring 
the  heavy  fur  clothing  necessary  for  the  colder  region  they  were  hasten- 
ing to,  though  the  temperature  was  far  from  genial  where  they  were, 
the  thermometer  ranging  on  the  day  of  their  arrival  from  90  to  33°  be- 
low zero.  At  length  on  the  3ist  of  October,  on  the  banks  of  the  Omo- 
lon,  having  made  their  last  trip  of  185  miles  on  horseback,  they  gladly 


233 


234  PREPARATIONS  FOR  SLEDGE   JOURNEY. 

exchanged  that  means  of  travel  for  the  dog-sledges  of  the  country,  and 
reached  Lower  Kolymsk  two  days  later.  Here  they  wintered  to  recu- 
perate and  prepare  for  the  exploring  expedition  in  the  s,pring.  The 
Kolyma  at  this  point  is  usually  frozen  over  before  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber, and  so  continues  until  June.  During  the  three  summer  months,  the 
sun  remains  for  fifty-two  days  constantly  above  the  horizon,  but  so  near 
it  that  he  gives  but  little  heat,  and  may  usually  be  gazed  upon  with  the 
naked  eye  without  serious  inconvenience.  The  inhabitants  are  very  jeal- 
ous of  the  distinction  of  the  seasons,  and  insist  that  it  is  spring  when  the 
sun  becomes  visible  at  noon,  though  the  thermometer  is  usually  35°  be- 
low zero  at  night;  and  autumn  begins  with  the  freezing  of  the  river, 
when  the  thermometer  often  points  to  47°.  But  visitors  are  content  to 
divide  the  year  into  nine  months  of  winter,  and  three  of  summer.  In 
June  the  temperature  sometimes  rises  to  72°,  but  before  the  close  of 
July  it  sinks  to  the  genial  warmth  of  a  pleasant  autumn  day  in  more 
favored  climes.  In  January  the  thermometer  goes  down  to  65°  below 
zero,  thus  showing  a  range  of  137°  in  five  months.  Clear  days  are 
very  rare  in  winter,  vapors  and  fogs  almost  constantly  prevailing.  And 
yet  the  climate  is  not  unhealthy;  catarrh  and  ophthalmia  are  common,  es- 
pecially in  the  foggy  period,  but  scurvy  and  other  dangerous  diseases  are 
very  rare. 

It  was  the  3d  of  March,  1821,  before  they  set  out  for  Cape  Schelags- 
koi.  The  intervening  coast  is  uninhabited,  the  Russians  making  occa- 
sional hunting  excursions  as  far  as  the  Baranow  Rocks,  and  the 
Tchuktchi,  from  the  other  side,  to  the  greater  Baranow  River,  while  the 
unsubdued  Tchuktchis,  with  their  numerous  herds  of  reindeer,  roam  over 
the  intervening  moss-covered  plains,  and  are  an  object  of  dread  to  those 
who  have  occasion  to  cross  their  territory.  Reaching  Sucharnoi 
Island  —  latitude  69°  31',  longitude  i6i°44' — at  the  mouth  of  the 
east  branch  of  the  Kolyma,  on  the  5th  they  made  their  final  arrange- 
ments for  the  trip.  There  were  nine  dog-sledges  with  their  drivers;  and 
the  equipments  were  as  follows:  A  tent  of  reindeer  skin,  with  a  skele- 
ton frame  of  ten  poles,  and  the  necessary  cooking  utensils ;  a  bear-skin 
apiece  to  lie  on,  and  a  double  coverlet  of  reindeer  skin  for  each  pair;  the 


A  SLEDGE  LOAD.  235 

outer  clothing  of  each  comprised  a  fur  shirt,  or  kamleia,  an  overcoat  or 
outside  wrapper  of  double  fur,  called  a  kuchlanka,  fur-lined  boots,  a  fur 
cap  and  gloves  of  reindeer  skin,  with  some  changes  of  linen.  Each  per- 
son was  supplied  with  a  gun,  fifty  cartridges,  a  pike,  a  knife,  and  the 
means  of  striking  fire.  The  instruments  were  two  chronometers,  a  sec- 
onds' watch,  a  sextant  and  artificial  horizon,  a  spirit  thermometer,  three 
azimuth  compasses — one  having  a  prism — two  telescopes,  and  a  measur- 
ing line.  The  provisions  for  each  mess  of  five  for  one  month  were  100 
Ibs.  of  rye  biscuits,  60  Ibs.  of  meat,  10  Ibs.  portable  soup,  2  Ibs.  tea,  4  Ibs. 
candy,  8  Ibs.  grits,  3  Ibs.  salt,  39  rations  of  spirits,  12  Ibs.  tobacco,  and 
smoked  jukala  equal  to  1,000  herrings.  The  food  provided  for  the  dogs 
consisted  of  frozen  and  dried  fish  of  different  kinds  equal  to  8,150  dried 
herrings. 

Each  sledge  carried  about  900  Ibs.  avoirdupois,  besides  the  driver. 
The  whole  was  so  carefully  covered  and  tied  down  with  thongs  and 
straps  that  nothing  could  be  displaced  or  injured  in  the  event  of  a  sledge 
being  upset.  The  driver  sits  about  midway,  holding  on  by  a  thong 
which  runs  from  end  to  end  of  the  sledge,  and  carrying  in  the  other  hand 
a  long  staff  with  a  prod  or  spike  at  one  end  and  small  bells  at  the  other, 
with  which,  and  his  voice,  he  drives  and  guides  his  team,  and  which  he 
uses  also  as  a  support  in  an  emergency.  The  six  provision  sledges  car- 
ried most  of  the  stores,  and  were  to  return  as  soon  as  unloaded ;  but  a 
portion  was  also  placed  on  the  traveling  sledges  of  the  explorers  as  a 
measure  of  precaution.  The  latitude  of  the  island  was  found  to  be  69° 
31',  and  the  longitude  161°  44',  and  the  thermometer,  at  noon,  showed 
half  a  degree  below  zero.  On  the  morning  of  March  6,  1821,  they 
started  for  the  lesser  Baranow  Rock,  twenty-four  miles  distant,  and  ar- 
rived at  a  hut  erected  by  Capt.  Billings,  some  thirty-three  years  before, 
which  they  found  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  but  filled  with  snow 
and  ice.  Dislodging  the  boards  which  formed  the  roof,  they  cleared 
the  hut  in  half  an  hour,  but  it  proved  only  large  enough  to  accommodate 
four  persons.  The  party  at  this  time  consisted  of  Lieutenant  Wrangell, 
the  mate,  Kosmin,  and  nine  drivers.  Seven  were  housed  in  the  tent.  It 
was  found  that  their  observations  corresponded  with  the  careful  surveys. 


236  TENTING  IN  ARCTIC  REGIONS 

.  of   Capt.   Billings.      On    their  way   they  had  seen  the  wooden    tower 
erected  by  Lieut.    Laptew,  in  1739,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kolyma. 

The  next  day,  with  the  thermometer  at  20°  below  zero,  at  noon,  they 
reached  the  vicinity  of  the  greater  Baranow  Rock,  having  made  about 
twenty-five  miles.  Here  they  saw  the  enormous  masses  of  rock  noticed 
by  Sarytschew,  some  of  which  looked  like  ruins  of  vast  buildings,  and 
others,  colossal  figures  of  men  and  animals.  On  the  8th,  having  made 
about  twenty  miles,  with  the  thermometer  ranging  from  four  to  eleven 
degrees  lower  than  at  noon  of  the  day  before,  they  pitched  the  tent  on 
the  bank  of  a  small  stream  of  good  water,  beyond  which  no  Russian 
had  penetrated  since  the  ill-fated  expedition  of  Schalarow.  Here  also 
they  erected  a  depot  of  provisions  for  the  return  trip.  This  consisted 
of  four  posts  driven  into  the  snow,  on  which  was  placed  a  rough  box 
made  of  driftwood  at  a  height  of  nine  feet.  In  this  were  placed  the 
stores,  covered  with  wood  and  snow.  The  tent  was  twelve  feet  wide  at 
the  bottom,  and  ten  feet  high  at  the  center;  and  around  the  central  fire, 
with  their  feet  toward  it,  and  their  bodies  radiating  from  it  like  the 
spokes  of  a  wheel,  they  lay  down  to  sleep,  and  generally  rested  well. 
Rising  at  six  they  were  ready  to  start  at  nine,  and  usually  made  their 
day's  journey  of  twenty  miles  in  eight  hours,  including  stoppages  for 
observations.  At  night  they  laid  the  sledges  bottom  upward,  and  poured 
water  on  the  runners  to  form  an  ice-coating,  by  the  help  of  which  they 
could  glide  more  smoothly  over  the  snow,  the  drivers  always  making  a 
special  effort  to  keep  on  the  snow  to  preserve  the  smoothness  of  the 
runners. 

On  the  9th  they  made  only  twenty  miles,  a  severe  snowstorm  ex- 
hausting the  dogs,  and  the  next  day  their  route  lay  over  the  sea  ice  at 
the  distance  of  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  shore.  As  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach  they  could  see  nothing  but  a  level  sheet  of  snow,  which  made 
traveling  much  easier  for  the  dogs,  but  very  monotonous  for  the  men. 
They  halted  early  to  make  observations  for  the  longitude,  which  was 
ascertained  to  be  166°  n',  and  to  erect  another  depot  of  provisions. 
At  noon  on  the  nth,  a  mile  from  the  coast,  the  latitude  was  ascertained 
to  be  69°  30',  the  longitude  166°  27'.  The  temperature  falling  to 


TCHUKTCHI  HUTS.  237 

37°  below  zero,  it  became  necessary  to  protect  the  dogs  by  clothing 
their  bodies  and  feet,  while  the  snow  became  less  smooth,  and  thus  the 
progress  of  the  animals  was  doubly  hindered,  so  that  they  were  able  to 
make  only  fifteen  miles.  The  travelers  had  now  reached  the  great  Ba- 
ninicha,  where  the  coast  gradually  rises  as  it  trends  to  the  north.  In  the 
distance,  to  the  south  and  southwest,  could  be  seen  the  hazy  outline  of 
some  mountains,  and  to  the  north  the  white  glint  of  a  line  of  ice  hum- 
mocks. Observations  became  difficult  and  uncertain,  the  instruments 
being  affected  by  the  intense  cold,  and  at  a  temperature  36°  below  zero, 
were  discontinued.  On  the  I3th  they  encamped,  after  a  journey  of  sixteen 
miles,  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  in  latitude  69°  38',  and  longitude  167°  43', 
with  the  temperature  at  29°.  Here  was  deposited  another  lot  of  pro- 
visions. At  noon  of  the  I3th  they  were  5'  farther  north,  and  at  the  foot 
of  a  low  bluff  they  saw  a  Tchuktchi  hut,  which  had  the  appearance  of 
having  been  recently  occupied.*  About  three  miles  farther  on  they  en- 
tered the  strait  lying  between  the  mainland  and  the  Sabadei  Island  of 
Schalarow,  in  the  middle  of  which  they  fell  in  with  several  Tchuktchi 
huts,  built  of  drift  larch  wood,  in  latitude  69°  49'  and  longitude  168° 
4'.  At  noon  of  the  I4th,  in  latitude  69°  52',  they  saw  from  the  top 
of  a  hill  which  they  ascended  for  the  purpose,  a  stretch  of  open  water  in 
the  distance,  extending  east  and  west  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  with 
great  hummocks  of  ice  to  the  north,  which  they  had  at  first  supposed 
was  land.  Within  two  miles  they  identified  Laptew's  Sand  Cape,  in 
longitude  168°,  where  the  low,  flat  coast  gives  way  to  the  more  elevated 
surface.  At  the  end  of  a  journey  of  twenty  miles  they  made  a  fourth 
and  last  deposit,  and  dismissed  the  last  of  their  provision  sledges. 

There  now  remained  Wrangell,  Kosmin,  and  three  drivers,  and  their 
point  of  departure  was  now  69°  58'  by  168°  41'.  They  gave  the 
dogs  a  day's  respite,  and  on  the  i6th  of  March  they  proceeded  toward 
the  hills  of  the  east,  but  after  making  thirty-five  miles  they  were  com- 
pelled to  halt  for  the  night  among  some  ice  hummocks.  Finally,  on  the 
lyth,  having  traveled  some  eighteen  miles,  they  reached  the  northwest 
point  of  Cape  Schelagskoi,  with  ice  hummocks  and  icebergs  all  around. 
Pushing  on  for  five  hours  longer,  during  which  they  had  only  made  five 


238  RETURN  RIVER. 

miles,  over  hummocks,  around  bergs,  through  loose  snow,  and  fighting 
for  every  foot  of  the  way,  they  reached  a  sheltered  cove  and  encamped 
for  the  night.  Here  they  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  some  drift- 
wood, and  building  a.  rousing  fire — a  privilege  they  had  not  enjoyed 
for  some  days — they  recruited  their  strength,  with  the  Schelagskoi  tow- 
ering west  of  them  to  the  height  of  3000  feet. 

With  only  three  days'  provisions  remaining,  Wrangell  and  Kosmin, 
leaving  one  sledge  behind  to  await  their  return,  proceeded  to  test,  as  far 
as  might  be  possible,  the  theory  of  Admiral  James  Burney,  recently  ad- 
vanced in  England.  He  conjectured  that  an  isthmus  might  be  found  ex- 
tending from  Schelagskoi  to  the  main  land  of  America,  north  of  Bchr- 
ing's  Strait.  Having  gone  ten  miles  east  from  the  camp,  at  noon  of  the 
iSth,  they  found  the  latitude  to  be  70°  3',  and  seven  miles  farther  on, 
with  twenty-four  miles  of  coast  in  view  to  the  east,  the  main  trend  of  the 
land  was  southeast,  and  therefore  not  confirmatory  of  Burney's  views. 
Naming  the  farthest  point  seen  Cape  Kosmin,  in  honor  of  his  compan- 
ion, and  marking  the  limit  they  had  reached  by  a  cairn  on  a  hill,  in  lati- 
tude 70°  i'  and  longitude  171°  47',  on  the  bank  of  a  stream  signifi- 
cantly named  the  Return,  Wrangell  with  his  three  companions  returned 
to  camp.  They  had  traveled  241  miles  since  .leaving  Sucharnoi  Island 
— an  average  of  twenty  miles  a  day.  They  erected  a  memorial  cross  at 
the  cape,  and  set  out  on  the  return  trip  the  next  morning.  They  reached 
Staduchin's  Wolok  (portage)  three  miles  from  camp,  but  farther  inland 
than  the  route  previously  taken,  and  at  noon  were  at  69°  44'  by  170° 
47',  and  to  a  cape  three  miles  away  in  a  southwest  direction,  Wrangell 
gave  the  name  of  his  midshipman'Matinschkin,  then  absent  on  a  mission 
of  peace  and  inquiry  among  the  Tchuktchis.  Next  day  they  made 
across  Tschaun  Bay  to  Sabadei  Island,  and  late  in  the  evening  of  the 
2  ist  reached  their  fourth  depot  of  provisions — none  too  soon,  for  they 
had  used  up  all  they  had  taken  with  them.  It  proved  their  salvation, 
having  escaped  the  depredations  of  foxes  and  wolverines,  by  which  the 
other  three  were  successively  found  to  have  been  rifled.  To  add  to  their 
disappointment,  no  supplies  were  found  at  Sucharnoi  Island,  as  ordered, 
and  the  hungry  travelers — men  and  dogs — had  to  wend  their  way  to 


A  XUSSfAW  FAIR.  299 

Lower  Kolymsk,  where  they  arrived  on  the  26th,  having  been  absent 
twenty-two  days,  the  last  two  without  food. 

The  round  trip,  as  made,  was  647  miles,  or  an  average  of  nearly  thir- 
ty-one miles  a  day  for  the  twenty-one  days  actually  consumed  in 
traveling. 

On  the  last  day  of  March  Wrangell  was  rejoined  by  Matinschkin 
who  had  been  well  received  by  the  Tchuktchis,  and  promised  a  kind  re- 
ception whenever  the  expedition  should  reach  their  settlements.  They 
had  never  seen  or  heard  of  a  land  to  the  north  of  their  coasts,  and  here 
again  Burney's  theory  failed  of  support.  He  had  left  Lower  Kolymsk 
on  the  1 6th  of  March,  accompanied  by  an  eccentric  British  naval  officer, 
Captain  John  Dundas  Cochrane — surnamed  "The  Pedestrian  Traveler," 
then  on  his  famous  trip  around  the  world — a  Cossack  servant  and  a 
Jakut  interpreter,  and  in  four  days  arrived  at  Fort  Ostrownoi,  where  an 
annual  fair  is  held  for  trading  with  the  Tchuktchis.  This  fort  comprises 
a  few  huts  surrounded  by  a  palisade,  and  is  built  on  an  island  in  the 
lesser  Aniuj  River,  in  latitude  68°  and  longitude  196°  10'. 

On  the  2ist  a  caravan  of  Russian  merchants  arrived  with  125  pack- 
horses  loaded  with  commodities  suitable  for  the  Tchuktchi  trade.  These 
were  tobacco,  beads  of  various  colors  and  hardware,  the  last  consisting 
mostly  of  hatchets,  knives,  and  kettles,  with  other  culinary  utensils,  be- 
sides some  smuggled  brandy,  very  significantly  called  by  the  Tchuktchis, 
"wild-making-water" — a  much  more  appropriate  name  than  the  French 
"water-of-life,"  given  it  in  the  earliest  period  of  European  acquaintance 
with  its  delusive  stimulating  powers.  But  though  unfortunately  made 
acquainted  with  its  frenzying  properties,  the  misguided  aborigines  will 
not  hesitate  to  exchange  their  precious  furs  to  the  value  of  two  hundred 
dollars  for  a  few  bottles  of  bad  brandy  costing  perhaps  two  dollars  at 
lakoutsk. 

Besides  this  race,  the  fair  is  visited  by  the  other  native  tribes  within 
a  radius  of  six  hundred  miles — the  Jukahiri,  Tungusi,  Tchuwanzi  and  the 
Koraki — together  with  a  few  scattered  Russians,  for  whose  benefit  the 
merchants  bring  a  small  stock  of  tea,  sugar,  cloth  and  brandy.  To  trade 
in  this  last  with  the  aborigines  is  duly  forbidden  by  the  Russian  gov- 


240 


MATINSCHKIN  INTERVIEWS   THE   CHIEFS. 


ernment,  but  means  are  easily  found  to  evade  the  law,  and  the  poor 
savages  are  only  the  more  heavily  fleeced  because  of  the  contraband 
character  thus  given  to  the  traffic. 

The  commodities  brought  to  this  market  by  the  Tchuktchis  consisted 
chiefly  of  the  furs  of  various  animals  indigenous  to  their  country  and  the 
opposite  shores  of  North  America,  besides  the  skins  of  bears,  reindeer, 
seals  and  walruses,  as  well  as  walrus  teeth.  Most  of  these  they  barter 
for  with  the  American  tribes,  giving  them  in  exchange  the  tobacco 
and  trinkets  which  they  procure  from  the  Russians.  The  chief  articles 
of  their  own  manufacture  are  sledge-runners  made  of  whalebone,  cloth- 
ing made  from  reindeer  skins,  and  seal  skin  bags.  Before  the  open- 
ing of  the  fair,  a  basis  of  barter  is  settled  by  the  principal  personages 
on  both  sides.  The  value  of  goods  exchanged  annually  was  estimated 
at  this  time  at  about  $150,000.  The  Russians  make  a  profit  of  about 
60  per  cent,  on  what  the  goods  cost  them  at  the  home  market,  and 
the  Tchuktchis  about  300  per  cent,  on  what  they  give  for  the  furs  to 
the  American  aborigines.  But  the  latter  are  several  months  on  the 
road,  while  the  Russians  are  only  a  few  weeks  from  home.  The  fail- 
lasts  only  three  days.  The  Russians  are  vehement  and  noisy;  the 
Tchuktchis  calmly  wait  for  what  they  consider  an  equitable  offer,  which 
they  at  once  accept.  The  noise,  press  and  bustling  activity  on  the 
part  of  the  too  eager  Russians,  together  with  the  jargon  of  mixed 
Russian,  Tchuktchi  and  Jakut  words,  in  which  they  proclaim  the  value 
of  their  wares,  creates  an  indescribable  confusion  and  uproar,  in 
marked  contrast  with  the  silent  composure  always  maintained  by  the 
barbarians. 

Here  Matinschkin  took  occasion  to  introduce  his  mission  to  the 
notice  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Tchuktchi.  These  were  Makamok  and 
Leutt,  from  the  Bay  of  St.  Lawrence,  Waletka,  whose  numerous  herds 
of  reindeer  crop  the  green  moss  of  the  plains  to  the  east  of  Cape 
Schelagskoi,  and  Ewraschka,  whose  tribe  of  nomads  roams  the  lowlands 
round  the  Tchaun  Bay.  He  explained  to  them  that  the  mighty  Czar 
of  all  the  Russias  wished  to  ascertain  if  his  ships  could  reach  his 
Tchuktchi  friends  by  the  northern  sea,  and  bring  them  the  wares  they 


UNWELCOME  HOSPITALITT.  341 

needed  by  that  route  in  greater  abundance,  and  at  a  cheaper  rate.  He 
inquired  whether  in  prosecution  of  that  design  the  servants  of  the  Em- 
peror could  rely  on  a  friendly  reception  among  their  people,  and  pro- 
cure for  them  such  supplies  as  they  might  need,  by  paying  for  the  same 
in  such  commodities  as  the  Tchuktchi  were  wont  to  purchase. 

To  all  these  overtures,  accompanied  by  presents  kindly  sent  them  by 
the  Emperor,  the  chiefs  gave  their  willing  assent,  promising  that  the 
expedition  would  receive  their  cordial  support  whenever  and  wherever  it 
might  be  required. 

Leutt  received  him  with  great  cordiality  at  his  tent,  where  he  par- 
took of  his  hospitality  which,  however,  he  would  have  been  glad  to  dis- 
pense with,  and  where  he  was  almost  suffocated  by  the  fumes  of  stinking 
oil  and  the  evaporation  from  six  dirty,  and  almost  naked  people.  His  ill- 
concealed  squirmishness  excited  the  hilarity  of  the  wife  and  daughter  of 
his  host,  who  were  busily  engaged  decorating  their  persons  with  many 
colored  beads  in  honor  of  his  visit.  Makomol  invited  him  to  witness  a 
sledge-race  in  which  the  three  prizes  were,  a  blue  fox  skin,  a  beaver  skin, 
and  a  pair  of  walrus  teeth.  The  speed  of  the  reindeer,  and  the  dexterity 
of  the  drivers  elicited  his  admiration,  and  the  applause-  of  the  multitude 
was  as  sincere  as  it  was  well -deserved.  This  was  supplemented  by  a 
foot-race,  in  which  the  contestants  wore  their  usual  heavy  fur  clothing, 
but  seemed,  nevertheless,  to  run  over  the  course  of  nearly  nine  miles, 
with  as  much  fleetness  as  the  light-clad  runners  of  more  genial  climes. 
Matinschkin  noticed  that  the  Tchuktchi  evinced  a  much  higher  appreci- 
ation of  the  previous  performance,  which  is  in  harmony  with  what  may 
also  be  observed  among  civilized  men.  At  the  close  of  the  games,  spec- 
tators and  performers  were  entertained  with  princely  hospitality  at  a  ban- 
quet of  boiled  reindeer,  cut  up  in  small  pieces,  and  served  in  large  wooden 
bowls  distributed  around  over  the  snow.  The  quietness  and  good  order 
manifested  by  the  people  who  partook  of  this  wide-spread  repast,  elicited 
the  admiration  of  Matinschkin,  who  could  not  fail  to  contrast  it  with  the 
jostling  and  crushing  and  subdued  quarreling  which  so  often  character- 
ize public  banquets  in  civilized  communities. 

His    visits  were  formally  returned    by    a  party    of    the    Tchuktchi, 
16 


242  A   TCHUKTCHI  DANCE. 

on  the  following  day,  to  the  ladies  of  which  he  presented  red, 
white  and  blue  beads,  and  for  refreshments,  some  tea  and  candy; 
of  the  latter  only  did  they  partake,  tea  having  no  charms  for 
the  fashionable  ladies  of  Northeastern  Asia.  Then  they  danced,  if 
dance  it  may  be  called,  where  the  feet  and  bodies  are  moved 
back  and  forth,  without  change  of  place  or  evolution  of  any  kind,  while 
the  performers  beat  the  air  with  their  hands.  In  the  next  stage  of  the 
performance,  three  of  the  most  competent  dancers  signalized  themselves 
in  a  very  energetic  and  complicated  series  of  evolutions — dignified  with 
the  title  of  the  national  dance  of  the  Tchuktchi,  in  which  jumpings, 
grimaces  and  contortions  formed  the  chief  attraction — until  forced  by  ex- 
haustion to  desist.  Thereupon  it  was  whispered  in  the  ear  of  Matinsch- 
kin,  by  the  interpreter,  that  the  etiquette  of  the  occasion  required  him  to 
give  to  each  of  the  three  distinguished  artists,  a  cup  of  brandy  and  some 
tobacco,  which  was  accordingly  done,  when  the  whole  party  took  leave 
of  the  Russian,  charging  him  to  remember  to  return  the  call  in  their  own 
country.  The  chiefs  also  made  him  a  formal  visit,  to  renew  their  assur- 
ances of  friendliness,  and  disposition  to  forward  the  exploration  of  the 
Icy  Sea.  Leaving  on  the  28th,  he  rejoined  his  chief,  as  has  been  said,  at 
Lower  Kolymsk,  on  the  3ist  of  March,  1821.  Dr.  Kyber,  the  remain- 
ing officer  of  the  expedition,  had  arrived  from  Irkoutsk  the  day  after 
Wrangell's  departure  on  his  first  sledge  journey ;  but  was  so  feeble  that 
he  was  not  able  to  take  part,  even  in  the  second,  for  which  they  now 
began  to  make  preparations. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

WRANGELL'S  SECOND  SLEDGE  JOURNEY — ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  BEAR — 

A  SALT  MOOR SURPLUS  PROVISIONS  DEPOSITED ATTACKED  BY 

BEARS RETURN  TO  LOWER    KOLYMSK  SUMMER    OCCUPATIONS 

— ALMOST  AN  ACCIDENT WINTER  AT  NISHNI  KOLYMSK. 

The  outfit  for  this  journey  was  substantially  the  same  as  for  the  pre- 
vious one,  with  some  few  improvements  and  additions.  The  most  im- 
portant of  these  was  a  portable  boat  made  of  skins  for  crossing  open 
channels  in  the  ice,  a  crowbar  for  breaking  through  the  ice  when  nec- 
essary or  desirable,  and  whalebone  shoeing  for  the  sledge-runners  to  be 
attached  where  the  loose  snow  or  the  crystals  left  by  salt  water  overflow, 
made  the  passage  difficult.  To  the  instruments  were  added  a  dipping- 
needle  and  sounding-line.  The  traveling  sledges  were  six,  and  the  pro- 
vision sledges  fourteen,  besides  two  sledges  belonging  to  the  merchant 
Bereshnoi,  who  had  asked  to  be  permitted  to  accompany  the  expedition, 
making  in  all  a  train  of  twenty-two  sledges,  with  240  dogs.  The  load 
of  each  sledge  at  the  outset  was  nearly  1,100  Ibs.  avoirdupois.  Wrangell's 
immediate  companions  were  Matinschkin,  Reschetnikow — a  retired  ser- 
geant who  had  joined  him  at  lakoutsk,  and  who  some  twelve  years  be- 
fore had  accompanied  Hedenstrom  in  his  exploring  expedition  to  the 
New  Siberia  Islands — and  the  sailor  Nechoroschkow,  who  had  accom- 
panied him  from  St.  Petersburg. 

On  the  yth  of  April  the  start  was  made,  as  before,  from  Sucharnoi 
Island,  and  the  first  halt  was  at  Billings'  hut  near  the  lesser  Baranow  Rock, 
whence  a  more  northerly  direction  was  taken  than  on  the  first  journey. 
A  mile  and  a  half  from  the  shore,  on  the  second  day,  they  encountered 
much  difficulty  in  threading  their  way  among  the  ice-hummocks,  but 
getting  clear  after  three  hours'  labor,  they  found  themselves  five  miles 
from  shore  on  a  level  plain  unbroken  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  save 

243 


244  FOUR-PILLAR  ISLAND. 

where  an  occasional  small  hummock  stood  like  a  rock  above  the  surface. 
Having  made  seven  miles  farther,  the  traveling  sledges  stopped  to  await 
the  coming-up.  Here  they  encountered  an  enormous  bear  which  they 
succeeded  in  killing,  mainly  through  the  dexterity  and  courage  of  one  of 
the  Cossack  drivers. 

When  the  provision  sledges  arrived,  they  reported  two  of  their 
number  missing,  having  had  their  sledges  upset  among  the  hum- 
mocks. Three  sledges  were  quickly  unloaded  and  sent  back  to 
their  relief,  and  in  two  hours  the  rescuers  and  the  rescued  re- 
joined the  others  uninjured,  but  tired  and  cold.  It  was  therefore  deemed 
advisable  to  camp  for  the  night  where  they  were.  Wrangell's  tent  was 
accordingly  pitched  in  the  center  with  four  smaller  tents  belonging  to 
the  merchant  and  the  wealthier  drivers,  round  about,  the  whole  being 
encircled  by  the  twenty-two  sledges,  with  the  dogs  tethered  on  the  in- 
side. On  the  pth,  one  provision  sledge  returned  homeward ;  and  at  noon 
they  found  themselves  in  latitude  69°  58',  with  the  greater  Baranow 
Rock  to  the  southeast.  By  night  they  had  made  twenty-eight  miles, 
reaching  latitude  70°  12'  30".  On  the  loth,  after  a  journey  of  twenty- 
seven  miles,  they  camped  in  a  small  bay  on  an  island  which  they  judged 
to  be  the  most  eastern  of  the  Bear  Islands,  though  they  found  the  lati- 
tude only  70°  37',  while  Leontjew,  in  1769,  had  determined  it  to  be 
71°  58',  and  the  longitude  162°  25'.  Wrangell  named  it  the  Four- 
Pillar  Island  from  the  remarkable  pillars  of  granitic  porphyry,  the  tallest  of 
which  measured  forty-eight  feet  in  height  and  ninety-one  in  circumference. 
The  form  was  somewhat  like  a  gigantic  human  body  with  a  turban  on 
its  head,  but  without  arms  or  legs.  Finding  here  an  abundance  of  drift- 
wood, they  concluded  to  remain  one  day,  which  was  devoted  to  making 
observations  and  collecting  a  store  of  firewood. 

Two  provision  sledges  returned  from  this  point,  when  on  the  I2th 
of  April  our  travelers  set  out  toward  the  northeast,  and  at  noon  found 
themselves  5'  north  and  4'  east  of  the  island,  having  made  between  six 
and  seven  miles.  All  this  time  the  temperature  kept  a  few  degrees  above 
zero,  usually  between  seven  and  fourteen.  Now  they  encountered  the 
salt  covering  on  the  ice  surface,  which  made  progress  slow,  and  a  thick 


A   SALT  MOOR.  345 

fog,  which  made  their  clothing  wet  and  uncomfortable.  Both  circum- 
stances also  indicated  an  approach  to  open  water;  and  to  add  to  their 
danger,  the  wind  blew  a  gale,  threatening  the  disruption  of  the  ice. 
They  found  refuge  in  the  shelter  of  a  hummock  thirty  feet  high,  and 
from  the  fresh  falling  snow  on  its  summit  they  were  able  to  obtain 
water  fit  for  drinking  and  cooking.  The  tent  was  torn,  and  would  have 
been  swept  away  by  the  wind  had  they  not  secured  it  by  extra  fastening 
to  the  hummock.  By  four  in  the  morning  the  storm  had  subsided,  and 
the  temperature  rose  to  23°.  By  attaching  the  whalebone  shoeing  to  the 
runners  and  walking  beside  the  sledges,  they  continued  to  advance,  but 
the  surface  was  so  rough  that  it  took  seven  hours  to  make  nineteen  miles, 
while  the  provision  sledges  were  away  behind,  out  of  sight.  In  the 
evening  the  temperature  again  sank  to  7°,  but  rose  on  the  morning  of 
April  14  to  18°,  when  they  again  took  the  road.  Eight  miles  further 
on  they  saw  three  seals,  which,  however,  got  safely  away  to  their  holes 
in  the  ice.  Having  traveled  twenty  miles,  they  camped  at  71°  31'  by 
163°  21  ',and  sent  back  three  more  sledges. 

They  now  adopted  the  plan  of  traveling  by  night,  and  started  after 
sunset  on  April  15,  but  after  traveling  nine  miles  they  found  themselves 
in  what  Wrangell  calls  a  deep  salt  moor,  with  the  ice  only  five  inches 
thick,  and  so  rotten  that  it  could  be  cut  through  with  a  common  knife. 
Hastening  out  of  this  dangerous  place  two  miles  to  the  southeast,  they 
found  the  ice  smooth  and  sound  and  fourteen  inches  thick,  and  the  sea 
depth  twelve  fathoms.  They  camped  at  71°  37'  by  163°  29',  and 
spent  the  night  in  great  alarm,  as  a  high  northern  wind  so  agitated  the 
open  sea  somewhere  to  the  north,  that  the  ice  beneath  their  feet  was 
made  to  vibrate  by  the  disturbance  of  the  water.  Leaving  this  camp, 
Wrangell  with  two  sledges  only  proceeded  four  miles  farther,  when  he 
found  the  ice  so  broken  by  fissures,  and  so  unstable,  that  he  concluded  to 
seek  safety  in  quitting  the  neighborhood.  The  highest  point  reached  was 
71°  43',  at  an  air  line  distance  of  124  miles  from  the  lesser  Baranow 
Rock. 

Having  made  about  thirteen  miles  to  the  south-southeast  from  the 
limit,  they  encamped  for  the  night  of  the  i6th  of  April  in- a  circular  hoi- 


246  EASTER  SERVICE. 

low  formed  by  ice  hills.  At  noon  the  next  day  they  were  at  70°  30* 
by  163°  39' ;  and  resuming  their  journey  after  sunset  toward  the  east, 
they  soon  fell  in  with  a  labyrinth  of  hummocks,  with  what  they  con- 
ceived to  be  an  island  in  the  distance.  Breaking  through  the  intervening 
obstacles  by  the  free  use  of  the  crowbar  for  three  hours,  they  reached  the 
foot  of  the  towering  mass,  which  proved  to  be  only  an  ice  hill  of  unusual 
dimensions.  Here  were  carefully  deposited  the  surplus  provisions,  thus 
relieving  eight  sledges,  which,  with  their  drivers,  in  charge  of  Sergt. 
Reschetnikow,  were  sent  on  to  Nishni  Kolymsk.  There  remained  ten 
persons  including  the  merchant  Bereshnoi,  who  wished  to  see  the  adven- 
ture through  to  the  end,  with  six  sledges  and  provisions  for  men  and  dogs 
for  fourteen  days.  On  the  i8th  at  noon  the  point  reached  was  71°  15" 
by  164°  4',  and  at  night  they  encamped  about  600  yards  from  a  recent 
ice  fissure,  in  the  shelter  of  a  large  block  of  ice,  still  moving  in  a  south- 
easterly direction  along  the  margin  of  the  fissure,  with  the  clefts  becom- 
ing more  and  more  numerous. 

Having  made  thirty  miles  they  halted,  at  sunrise,  on  the  2oth,  at  70° 
56',  by  164°  49'.  In  the  evening  they  ferried  themselves  across  a  wide 
fissure  on  a  floating  block  of  ice,  and  at  a  distance  of  eighteen  miles 
from  the  halting  place  of  the  morning,  they  sighted  the  greater  Baranow 
Rock,  about  sixty  miles  away  to  the  southeast.  Here,  while  on  a  short 
excursion  from  the  main  party,  in  pursuit  of  a  bear,  Wrangell  and 
Matinschkin,  in  two  unloaded  sledges,  got  among  the  breaking  ice,  and 
with  the  utmost  difficulty  and  haste  succeeded  in  rejoining  their  compan- 
ions on  the  stronger  ice,  at  70°  46',  by  165°  6'.  After  resting  for  the 
night  they  resumed  their  course  to  the  southeast  on  the  2ist,  but  finding 
the  hummocks  impassable  to  their  broken  sledges,  they  returned  to  the 
same  place,  and  rested  on  the  next  day,  which  was  Easter  Sunday,  and 
which  they  observed  as  nearly  in  accordance  with  the  customs  of  their 
country  as  they  found  practicable.  •  They  made  a  block  of  ice  do  service 
as  an  altar,  before  which  they  burnt  the  only  wax  taper  they  possessed, 
while  Bereshnoi  read  the  prescribed  service,  and  the  Cossacks  and 
sledge-drivers  sang  the  customary  hymns.  On  the  23d  one  of  the  drivers 
was  suddenly  taken  sick,  'causing  a  detention  of  another  day,  which  was 


347 


248  ATTACKED  BT  BEARS. 

devoted  to  repairing  sledges,  with  the  temperature  at  18°  above,  and 
the  stillness  relieved  from  time  to  time  by  the  thunder  of  crashing  ice  in 
the  distance.  It  was  now  determined  to  go  back,  and  having  made 
thirty-seven  miles  due  west,  they  encamped  at  70°  39', by  163°  29',  with 
Four  Pillar  Islands  twenty-two  miles  to  the  southwest.  Then  turning 
north  they  fell  in  .with  the  tracks  of  the  sledges  dismissed  homeward, 
and  having  made  twenty-eight  miles,  they  halted  in  latitude  71°  4'. 

On  the  26th,  after  eleven  hours  of  dangerous  traveling  — Wrangell's 
eight  dogs  were  once  precipitated  in  the  water,  and  he  was  saved  from  fol- 
lowing them  only  by  the  length  of  the  sledge — they  reached  their  depot 
of  provisions,  which  they  found  intact,  though  numerous  traces  of  bears 
and  other  animals  were  found  on  all  sides  of  the  ice  hill.  The  next  day 
they  rested,  and  found  the  latitude  to  be  71°  28'.  During  the  night 
they  were  awakened  by  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  and  on  getting  up 
saw  two  bears,  which  they  pursued  without  success  until  morning,  leav- 
ing Wrangell  a  solitary  guard  over  the  camp.  A  third  bear  soon  put  in 
an  appearance,  and,  after  a  moment  of  painful  suspense  to  the  beholder, 
scampered  off,  soon  falling  in  with  two  of  the  hunters,  by  whom  he  was 
wounded,  but  without  being  prevented  from  making  his  escape.  This 
fruitless  night's  hunt  necessitated  another  day's  rest;  and  on  the  29th  they 
crossed  their  own  tracks  of  April  ist.  They  noticed  three  halos  around 
the  sun,  and  made  over  twenty-three  miles  before  encamping,  at  71°  26' 
by  162°  27'.  Finding  himself  on  the  scene  of  Hedenstrom's  labors  in 
1810,  Wrangell  now  concluded  to  direct  his  attention  to  the  land  they 
had  seen  from  Four  Pillar  Islands.  "  The  inhabited  country  to  the  north, 
as  alleged  by  Tchuktchi  and  others,"  had  failed  to  heave  in  sight,  and 
he  lost  all  hope  of  finding  it  on  the  present  trip.  Having  made  twenty- 
four  miles  in  a  driving  snowstorm,  during  which  they  tied  the  dogs  of 
one  sled  to  the  end  of  the  one  preceding,  so  as  not  to  become  separated 
;n  the  thick  darkness,  and  being  guided  only  by  the  compass,  they  halted 
on  the  open  ice  plain,  but  were  unable  to  pitch  their  tent  or  light  a  fire, 
thus  spending  the  worst  night  they  had  experienced  on  the  trip. 

On  the  ist  of  May  they  reached  a  bay  on  the  north  side  of  Four  Pil- 
lar Island  after  a  journey  of  thirty  miles  in  the  continued  darkness;  show- 


SUMMER  OCCUPATIONS.  249 

ing  the  accuracy  of  compass-guidance.  Two  blazing  fires  which  they 
soon  kindled  on  the  land,  restored  their  spirits,  and  on  the  morning  of 
the  3d,  they  were  regaled  by  the  notes  of  some  linnets  as  they  ap- 
proached the  second  island  of  the  group — the  first  cheerful  sound  they 
had  heard  since  taking  to  the  ice.  On  the  5th  they  examined  the  west- 
ernmost of  the  Bear  Islands,  and  found  that  the  group  comprised  in  all 
six  islands,  including  the  one  they  had  previously  named  Four  Pillar 
Island.  Proceeding  south-southwest  on  the  6th,  they  reached  Cape 
Krestowoi,  having  traveled  only  twenty-five  miles,  and  enjoyed  the  lux- 
ury of  resting  under  a  roof,  and  within  walls.  Provisions  running  low, 
and  the  season  being  well  advanced,  it  was  now  determined  to  make  the 
best  of  their  way  to  Nishni  Kolymsk,  which  was  reached  on  the  loth  of 
May,  after  an  absence  of  thirty-four  days,  and  a  journey  of  700  miles 
with  the  same  dogs,  and  without  serious  accident  of  any  kind  to  men, 
dogs,  or  provisions. 

SUMMER  OCCUPATIONS  OF  WRANGELL'S  PARTY. 

The  scarcity  of  provisions  at  Nishni  Kolymsk  rendered  it  necessary 
for  Wrangell  to  make  special  efforts  to  secure  supplies  for  the  expedition. 
Fishing  parties  were  dispatched  under  Sotnik  Tatarinow,  Wrangell's 
Cossack  sledge-driver,  in  whose  intelligence  and  experience  he  had 
learned  to  place  great  confidence.  A  party  was  placed  in  charge  of 
Matinschkin  to  survey  the  coast  from  the  Kolyma  to  the  Indigirka.  A 
small  dwelling  and  depot  of  provisions  was  to  be  erected  by  another 
party  under  Sergeant  Reschetnikow,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Bara- 
nicha  River.  Dr.  Kyber,  who  had  now  recovered,  was  at  his  own  re- 
quest to  explore  the  banks  of  the  Greater  and  Lesser  Aniuj.  A  fourth 
section  under  Wrangell's  immediate  oversight,  was  to  survey  the  mouths 
of  the  Kolyma.  The  mate  Kosmin,  Wrangell's  companion  on  the  first 
sledge  journey,  had  been  occupied  during  the  second,  in  making  a  large 
boat  or  shallop,  which  was  successfully  launched  on  the  23d  of  June,  and 
rigged  with  sails  and  anchor  from  those  which  had  been  used  by  Cap- 
tain Billings  a  generation  before.  A  small  boat  had  also  been  con- 
structed, capable  of  holding  three  persons. 


250  A  BLAZE. 

The  whole  party  now  embarked  in  the  shallop,  but  were  pre- 
vented by  contrary  winds  from  making  much  headway.  With 
four  oars  they  laboriously  made  their  way  three  miles  down  the 
river,  when,  in  making  a  landing,  one  of  the  dogs  fell  overboard, 
and  becoming  entangled  in  a  rope,  would  have  been  strangled 
had  not  Matinschkin  sprung  to  the  rescue.  Unfortunately  in 
cutting  the  rope  he  cut  his  own  thumb  so  severely  that  Dr.  Kyber 
thought  it  might  easily  become  dangerous;  and  Wrangell  insisted  that 
patient  and  physician  should  return  to  Nishni  Kolymsk,  also  instructing 
them  to  explore  the  Aniuj  together  as  soon  as  the  wound  became  healed. 
On  the  loth  of  July  Wrangell  and  Kosmin,  with  their  companions,  ar- 
rived at  the  Tschukotschie  River,  whither  the  fishing  parties  had  been 
sent  forward,  and  where  they  were  glad  to  see  that  success  had  crowned 
their  efforts.  Here  they  landed,  proposing  to  make  the  coast  journey  to 
the  Indigirka  on  horseback,  and  while  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the 
Jakut  owners  and  the  horses,  they  succeeded  in  killing  three  reindeer. 
With  only  five  animals — all  that  could  be  procured — two  to  serve  as 
pack-horses  and  three  for  himself  and  two  companions,  Kosmin  under- 
took to  traverse  the  desert  waste  between  the  two  great  rivers,  and 
started  off  on  the  I4th  of  July.  His  companions  were  a  Jakut  and  a 
Cossack,  and  they  took  with  them  two  light  canoes  for  crossing  streams. 

Wrangell  occupied  himself  with  determining  some  positions  on  the 
river,  the  north  being  still  blocked  with  ice.  On  the  27th  of  July,  while 
absent  in  the  middle  of  the  river  with  the  two  companions  who  alone 
remained  with  him,  the  tent  on  shore  took  fire  and  was  destroyed  before 
they  could  reach  it.  Wrangell  had,  however,  the  good  fortune  to  save 
his  papers  and  instruments;  but  the  survey  of  the  Kolyma  was  aban- 
doned, and  he  returned  to  Nishni  Kolymsk.  He  found  Matinschkin  and 
Kyber  ready  to  start  for  the  Aniuj,  as  previously  agreed,  and  under  the 
advice  of  the  latter  he  retired  to  the  more  genial  climate  of  Sredne 
Kolymsk,  in  the  hope  of  being  relieved  from  the  rheumatism,  which  for 
some  time  had  been  growing  more  troublesome,  and  now  threatened  to 
unfit  him  for  prosecuting  his  future  sledge  journeys. 

After  spending  nearly  seven  weeks  among  the  hospitable  Jakuts,  near 


WINTER  AT  LOWER  KOLTMSK. 


251 


Sredne  Kolymsk,  Wrangell,  much  invigorated  by  the  repose  and  kindly 
treatment  he  had  enjoyed,  proceeded  down  the  river  in  his  shallop,  arriv- 
ing at  Nishni  Kolymsk  on  the  i2th  of  September.  Here  he  found  Res- 
chetnikow  returned  from  his  mission  to  the  Baranicha  River,  where  he 
had  completed  the  required  buildings.  Soon  Nechoroshkow  joined 
them  from  the  fishing  grounds,  and  reported  exceptional  success  in  that 
undertaking.  On  the  i  ith  of  October  Matinschkin  and  Kyber,  and  a 
week  later  Kosmin,  arrived  in  safety  from  their  respective  expeditions, 
and  the  whole  party  was  thus  re-united  for  the  winter  at  Nishni  Kolymsk. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

WRANGELL'S  THIRD  SLEDGE  JOURNEY — EASTER  SUNDAY — VIEWS  THE 
OPEN  SEA  EXPLORE  THE  TUNDRAS  MEET  KOSMIN IMPOR- 
TUNITY OF  BERESHNOI — GENEROSITY  OF  A  JAKUT RETURN  TO 

KOLYMSK. 

In  preparing  for  the  third  journey,  Wrangell  and  his  party  encoun- 
tered a  very  serious  difficulty.  An  epidemic  broke  out  among  the  dogs, 
in  which  four-fifths  of  the  whole  stock  perished.  By  great  exertion  they 
were  able  to  procure  forty-five  dogs  instead  of  the  ninety-six  Wrangell 
had  designed  to  use  on  his  third  trip  to  the  north.  The  Cossacks,  who 
were  the  fortunate  owners  of  most  of  the  dogs  that  had  survived  the 
epidemic,  now  volunteered,  in  conjunction  with  some  of  the  other  inhab- 
itants, to  fit  out  twenty  sledges,  each  with  twelve  dogs,  for  the  use  of  the 
expedition.  Wrangell  now  selected  five  traveling  sledges,  and  nineteen 
to  carry  provisions,  which  last  were  to  be  sent  back  as  soon  as  possible,  as 
out  of  the  whole  number  of  dogs,  amounting  to  nearly  three  hundred, 
only  enough  for  the  traveling  sledges  could  be  found  which  were  fit 
to  make  the  whole  journey.  His  immediate  companions  for  the  trip 
were  Matinschkin,  Kosmin  and  Nechorowsky,  Kyber  being  again  pre- 
vented, very  much  against  his  wishes,  by  the  weak  state  of  his  health, 
from  accompanying  them.  Wrangell  proposed  to  make  this  journey  a 
continuation  of  his  former  one  by  proceeding  as  directly  as  possible  to  the 
limit  previously  attained,  and  prosecuting  his  labors  from  that  point. 

With  forty  days'  provisions  for  the  men,  and  thirty-five  for  the  dogs, 
they  set  out  once  more  from  Sucharnoi  Island  on  the  26th  of  March, 
1822,  reaching  the  greater  Baranow  Rock  on  the  next  day.  On  the  28th, 
after  clearing  the  rock,  they  directed  their  course  toward  the  northeast 
for  the  intersection  of  71°  30'  with  the  meridian  of  Cape  Schelagskoi, 

at  a  distance  from  the  same  of  about  ninety  miles.     At   a  point   about 

252 


EASTER  SUNDAY.  253 

eighteen  miles  east  of  the  limit  of  the  previous  journey,  they  made  the 
intended  deposit  of  provisions  on  the  6th  of  April,  and  next  day  dismissed 
the  last  thirteen  of  the  provision  sledges,  six  having  been  already  sent 
back,  and  one  intermediate  deposit  of  provisions  having  been  established 
on  the  ist,  at  70°  19'  by  14'  east  of  the  greater  Baranow  Rock.  Ma- 
tinschkin  was  sent  to  the  northeast  on  the  6th,  with  five  days'  provi- 
sions and  two  sledges,  and  Wrangell  and  Kosmin  set  out  on  the  yth, 
with  the  three  remaining  sledges  and  three  days'  provisions,  toward  the 
north,  both  parties  to  return  on  the  loth  to  the  depot.  No  land  had 
been  discovered  by  either  party.  On  the  I2th  they  resumed  their  explo- 
ration together  toward  the  nprth,  having  found  by  the  previous  short 
trips  that  the  way  was  more  open  in  that  direction.  The  I4th  was 
Easter  Sunday,  which  they  devoted  to  rest,  the  mild  weather  and  bright 
sunshine  adding  to  their  enjoyment  of  the  occasion.  It  was  the  i8th  of 
April  before  they  arrived  at  the  limit  reached  by  Wrangell  and  Kosmin 
on  the  pth,  newly-formed  hummocks,  as  well  as  the  enlargement  of  the 
old  ones,  being  the  chief  cause  of  this  great  disparity  in  the  rate  of  pro- 
gress. A  sick  sledge-driver  was  sent  back  with  two  companions  and  a 
double  team  of  twenty-four  dogs,  releasing  one  sledge,  which  was  used 
for  repairing  the  others.  A  small  deposit  of  provisions  was  also  made. 

There  were  now  but  five  men,  with  three  sledges  and  two  small  tents, 
the  largest  tent  having  been  turned  over  by  Wra'ngell  to  the  use  of  the 
invalid.  On  the  2ist  of  April,  having  reached  71°  52'  by  3°  23'  east 
of  the  great  Baranow  Rock,  and  the  increasing  number  of  new  hum- 
mocks rendering  further  progress  extremely  difficult,  it  was  determined 
to  return.  They  had  about  reached  the  limit  of  the  shore  ice  of  Siberia, 
as  they  judged,  but  before  turning  their  backs  to  the  threatening 
north,  Matinschkin  in  a  lightly-equipped  sledge  proceeded  six  miles 
farther  to  the  north,  where  all  further  advance  was  stopped  by  the  com- 
plete breaking  up  of  the  ice,  and  the  near  approach  to  the  open  water  of 
the  Polar  Sea.  He  here  "  beheld  the  icy  sea  breaking  its  fetters;  enor- 
mous fields  of  ice,  raised  by  the  waves  into  an  almost  vertical  position, 
driven  against  each  other  with  a  tremendous  crash,  pressed  downward 
by  the  force  of  the  foaming  billows,  and  reappearing  again  on  the  sur- 


254  IN  THE   TUNDRAS. 

face,  covered  with  the  torn-up  green  mud  which  everywhere  here  forms 
the  bottom,  and  which  we  had  so  often  seen  on  the  highest  hummocks. 
On  his  return  Mr.  Matinschkin  found  a  great  part  of  the  track  he  had 
passed  over  already  gone,  and  large  spaces  which  he  had  just  traversed 
now  covered  with  water."  He  had  been  gone  six  hours.  Now  striking 
to  the  west-northwest,  they  reached  72  °  2 '  on  the  24th,  at  a  distance  of 
151  miles  in  a  straight  line  from  the  nearest  land,  the  great  Baranow 
Rock,  and  about  2°  50'  east  of  its  meridian.  Progress  in  this  direction 
was  stopped  by  the  same  obstacles  as  before,  and  it  was  now  determined 
to  make  for  the  central  depot  of  provisions. 

On  the  4th  of  May  at  the  distance  of  forty-six  miles  from  Cape 
Schelagskoi,  with  a  clear  sky  and  an  open  horizon  to  the  north  and  east, 
extending  twenty-nine  miles,  and  no  land  in  sight,  they  concluded  that 
the  "inhabited  north  country"  was  probably  not  to  be  found  in  the  me- 
ridian of  that  cape,  nor  of  the  Baranow  Rocks.  Five  days  later  they 
reached  their  provision  depot,  which  they  found  uninjured,  and  resting 
one  day  for  the  refreshment  of  men  and  dogs,  they  started  for  Nishni 
Kolymsk.  On  the  i6th  of  May,  at  Pochotsk,  they  met  Lieutenant 
Anjou  and  party  on  their  return  to  the  Yana  River  from  the  islands  of 
New  Siberia;  and  on  the  i7th  arrived  without  serious  disaster  of  any 
kind,  at  Nishni  Kolymsk,  after  an  absence  of  fifty-three  days,  and  a  jour- 
ney of  782  miles. 

EXPLORATIONS  IN  THE  TUNDRAS. 

The  only  important  expeditions  of  the  summer  of  1822  were  Matinsch- 
kin's  journey  across  the  Eastern  Tundra,  and  Wrangell's  own  tiip 
through  the  Hilly  Tundra.  They  parted  company  on  the  I2th  of  July, 
at  Pantelejewka,  a  few  miles  north  of  Nishni  Kolymsk,  the  proposed 
scene  of  Wrangell's  exploration  lying  almost  due  north  of  that  point,  and 
Matinschkin's  away  east  toward  Tchaun  Bay  and  Cape  Schelagskoi.  The 
latter  was  accompanied  by  the  merchant  Bereshnoi,  who  was  bound  on  a 
trading  journey  to  the  Tchuktchis  of  Tchaun  Bay,  taking  Ostrownoi  on 
the  way  with  the  hope  of  securing  an  interpreter.  Arriving  there  on 
the  22d,  they  hired  Mardowskij,  a  Tchuwanzian  chief  who  under- 


TRACES  OF  TCHUKTCHI.  255 

stood  the  Tchuktchi  language,  to  accompany  them.  A  week  later  they 
arrived  at  the  Fedoticha  River,  on  the  confines  of  the  wide-spreading 
tundras.  By  this  name  are  designated  the  mossy  flats  or  vast  plains 
which  border  on  the  Arctic  Ocean,  chiefly  in  Siberia,  but  also  along  the 
north  coast  of  Europe.  The  word  originated  with  the  Finns,  who  call 
these  wastes  tunturs.  They  are  of  the  same  general  character  every- 
where, being  great  tracts  of  swamp-lands,  partly  covered  over  with  a 
thick  layer  of  bog-moss,  and  partly  with  a  dry  snow-white  covering  of 
reindeer-moss  and  different  kinds  of  lichens  and  similar  Arctic  vegetation. 
There  are  no  trees,  or  even  shrubs,  and  it  is  only  the  reindeer  that  ren- 
ders these  frightful  wastes  habitable  for  the  hordes  of  aboriginal  nomads. 
A  great  portion  of  them  can  only  be  traversed  in  winter  when  frozen 
over;  and  to  these  belong  the  tundras  of  Northern  Siberia  which  retain  a 
covering  of  snow  throughout  the  year. 

On  the  2d  of  August  Matinschkin  rejoined  Wrangell,  who  had  mean- 
time reached  the  buildings  previously  erected  on  the  Great  Baranicha; 
and  on  the  I2th  crossed  the  three  arms  of  that  river  in  Kosmin's  boat. 
On  the  I4th  they  met  Kosmin  himself,  in  the  shallop,  who  had  come  to 
fish  in  those  waters,  accompanied  by  four  companions.  With  his  aid 
n  light  boat  was  constructed  for  Matinschkin,  who  pushed  forward  on 
the  1 5th  with  Bereshnoi,  the  interpreter,  three  Jakuts,  and  sixteen  horses. 
On  the  26th  of  August  when  they  had  about  determined  to  abandon  the 
hitherto  fruitless  search  for  the  Tchuktchi  and  turn  back,  they  reached 
the  Taunmeo  River,  and  the  ensuing  day,  on  the  other  side,  found 
abundant  as  well  as  recent  traces  of  that  people,  who,  however,  had  all 
disappeared  some  short  time  before  their  arrival. 

Bereshnoi  was  now  importunate  to  turn  homeward,  and  proceeding 
up  the  river  until  the  first  of  September,  they  then  turned  their  faces  to 
the  west  for  Nishni  Kolymsk,  striking  the  route  of  the  Tchuktchi  to  the 
annual  fair,  at  Ostrownoi.  On  the  3d  they  were  without  food  of  any 
kind  except  a  single  wild  duck  which  one  of  the  Jakuts  had  killed,  un- 
known to  the  rest  of  the  party.  This  he  furtively  offered  to  Matinschkin, 
saying :  "  There,  take  and  eat  it  alone ;  it  is  too  little  to  do  good  to  all 
of  us,  and  you  are  very  tired."  The  generous  offer  was,  of  course,  re- 


256  RETURN  TO  KOLTMSK. 

fused,  and  the  Jakut's  duck  was  put  into  the  kettle,  the  broth  making  a 
refreshing,  though  light  repast  for  all.  On  the  5th,  after  three  days'  fast- 
ing and  great  labor  in  crossing  snow-covered  hills  and  ravines,  they  lay 
down  at  night  on  the  bank  of  a  stream,  in  which  they  exerted  them- 
selves to  place  a  net.  Matinschkin  had  suggested  the  killing  cf  one 
of  the  horses,  but  this  was  overruled,  as  the  Jakuts  declared  that  in 
the  heated  state  of  their  blood  the  use  of  their  flesh  would  cause  serious 
illness.  Hoping,  and  yet  fearing  the  downfall  of  their  hopes,  they  hesi- 
tated to  draw  the  net  next  morning,  and  were  delighted  to  find  three 
large  and  several  small  fishes.  They  reached  the  Aniuj  the  same  day, 
and  found  more  fish  than  they  could  consume.  The  surplus  they  were 
thoughtful  enough  to  place  as  a  deposit  for  some  future  travelers ;  and 
were  rejoiced  to  learn,  some  months  later,  that  the  5000  fishes  they  had 
thus  taken  the  trouble  to  store,  were  found  by  some  distressed  wanderers, 
and  supplied  them  with  food  for  a  month.  And  as  if  in  direct  return  for 
their  thoughtfulness,  they  themselves  found  a  similar  deposit  of  clothing, 
which  they  much  needed  in  the  daily  increasing  cold.  On  the  1 2th  they 
resumed  their  journey,  and  four  days  later  arrived  at  a  small  settlement, 
where  they  rested.  Matinschkiu  now  concluded  to  devote  the  remainder 
of  the  season  to  a  survey  of  the  country  from  the  Aniuj  to  Nishni 
Kolymsk,  a  distance  of  nearly  300  miles,  and  took  his  departure  on  the 
iSth.  He  reached  Molotkowo  on  the  25th,  in  the  boat  of  his  friend 
Karkin,  by  whom  himself  and  Dr.  Kyber  had  been  hospitably  enter- 
tained the  year  before.  Finally,  on  the  6th  of  October,  he  reached 
Nishni  Kolymsk,  after  an  absence  of  eighty-six  days  since  leaving 
Pantelejewka. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

WKANGELL'S  FOURTH  SLEDGE  JOURNEY — START  FOR  GREATER  BAR- 

ANICHA RUMORS    OF    A    NORTHERN    CONTINENT AFLOAT 

WRANGELL  SEES  THE  ARCTIC DANGER MEET  WITH  MATINSCH- 

KIN A    NATIVE    SPECULATOR SERFDOM CLOSE    OF    WRAN- 

GELL'S  EFFORTS. 

To  secure  a  good  selection  of  dogs  for  his  fourth  journey  on  the  ice 
of  the  Polar  Sea,  Wrangell  solicited  the  co-operation  of  the  inhabitants 
on  the  Indigirka,  Chroma  and  Yana  Rivers,  and  spent  a  few  days  of 
November  at  Uestyansk,  at  the  head  of  the  delta  of  the  last  named 
river,  with  Lieut.  Anjou,  whose  headquarters  were  at  that  point.  Hav- 
ing obtained  the  promise  of  fifteen  good  teams,  or  180  dogs,  he  returned 
to  Nishni  Kolymsk  early  in  January,  1823.  On  the  nth  of  February 
Kosmin  started  on  a  special  expedition,  with  two  sledges,  for  the  Bear 
Islands,  to  ascertain  definitely  whether  these  were  other  than  those 
they  had  before  seen.  He  returned  on  the  ist  of  March,  having  made 
a  complete  re-examination  of  the  whole  region,  and  satisfied  himself 
that  no  other  islands  existed  in  those  waters. 

All  preparations  being  made,  Wrangell  divided  his  party  into  two 
sections,  one  under  Matinschkin,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Kyber,  to  explore 
the  coast  from  Cape  Schelagskoi  to  Cape  North,  known  to  the  Tchuk- 
tchis  as  Capes  Erri  and  Ir-Kaipig,  the  other  under  his  own  immediate 
charge,  to  search  for  the  "  inhabited  country  "  in  the  Icy  Sea  to  the 
north. 

On  the  loth  of  March  they  set  out  with  twenty-one  sledges  to- 
ward the  buildings  previously  erected  on  the  Greater  Baranicha.  Three 
days  later  Wrangell  was  overtaken  by  a  Cossack  messenger  bearing  dis- 
patches from  the  governor-general  of  Siberia,  and  sent  back  two 
sledges.  They  reached  the  buildings  the  same  night,  and  found  the  extra 
17  257 


258  RUMORS  OF  A  NORTHERN  CONTINENT. 

shelter  very  desirable,  the  thermometer  having  sunk  to  42°  below  zero. 
Three  days  were  consumed  in  final  preparation,  repacking  the  nineteen 
remaining  sledges  with  what  they  had  brought  along,  and  what  had 
been  previously  stored  in  the  buildings.  The  fourth  clay  was  so  stormy 
that  they  could  not  set  out,  and  it  was  therefore  the  I7th  of  March  before 
they  were  fairly  under  way  on  the  fourth  and  last  sledge  journey  over 
the  ice  of  the  Polar  Sea.  In  three  days  they  reached  Cape  Schelagskoi, 
where  they  met  a  kaimakai,  or  chief  of  the  Tchuktchi.  A  subordinate 
governor  in  Turkey  is  known  as  kaimakam,  which  suggests  a  possible 
relationship  between  this  remote  aboriginal  tribe;  or  possibly  the  word 
in  that  form  may  have  been  borrowed  from  some  of  the  Tartar  hordes  of 
Siberia. 

Our  travelers  found  the  Tchuktchi  chief  friendly  and  serviceable,  as 
soon  as  he  became  satisfied  that  their  intentions  were  entirely  pacific. 
From  him  they  learned  that  the  region  of  the  cape  was  only  temporarily 
inhabited  by  his  people  for  bear  hunting  purposes,  and  that  it  had  been 
previously  occupied  by  the  Schelagi  and  Tchewani  tribes,  whose  names 
survive  in  Cape  Schelagskoi  and  Tchaun  Bay,  but  who  had  themselves 
migrated  westward  many  years  before.  When  questioned  about  the 
"inhabited  country  to  the  north,"  he  said:  "  There  is  a  part  of  the  coast 
between  the  capes,  where  from  some  cliffs  near  the  mouth  of  a  river  one 
might,  on  a  clear  summer  day,  descry  snow-covered  mountains  at  a  great 
distance  to  the  north,  but  that  it  was  impossible  to  see  so  far  in  winter." 
These  distant  mountains,  in  his  opinion,  belonged  to  an  extensive  coun- 
try, not  to  islands;  and  he  had  heard  from  his  father  that  a  kaimakai  of 
their  race  had  migrated  thither  with  his  horde  years  before  in  boats,  but 
what  had  become  of  them  was  never  learned  in  the  country  they  had  left. 
He  had  himself  seen  herds  of  reindeer  coming  from  that  land  on  the  ice, 
and  landing  on  the  Siberian  continent.  He  also  attributed  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  that  land  the  wounding  of  a  whale  which  was  found  stranded  on 
an  island  off  the  coast,  with  slate-pointed  spears  still  adhering  to  its  body. 
But  Wrangell  thought  it  more  likely  that  it  had  been  attacked  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  who  are  known  to  use  just  such 
spears, 


CAPE  KTBER. 


The  latitude  of  the  isthmus  back  of  Cape  Schelagskoi  where  they 
had  encamped  was  found  to  be  70°  3',  and  the  longitude  171°  3'.  Pro- 
ceeding eastward  on  the  22d,  they  arrived  at  Cape  Kosmin,  in  70°  i'  by 


mm 

^- A'\v\\vH%\\\ 


lll°  55%  and  found  the  coast  line  to  the  east  uneven  and  hilly  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Werkon,  the  western  headland  of  which  Wrangell  named 
Cape  Kyber,  in  honor  of  the  physician  of  the  expedition.  It  is  280  feet 

high  and.  eleven  and.  a  half  geographical  roUes  distant  from  the  low  east* 


260  AFLOAT. 

ern  bank  of  the  river.  To  the  small  island  two  miles  to  the  north  he 
gave  the  name  of  Schalarow  Island,  in  honor  of  the  merchant  navigator 
of  that  name,  who  perished  in  this  vicinity  in  1765.  Ahout  three  miles 
from  the  shore  and  in  the  longitude  of  the  east  bank  of  the  Werkon,  they 
constructed  a  depot  of  provisions,  on  the  25th,  and  sent  back  the  empty 
sledges  to  Nishni  Kolymsk. 

The  next  day  they  fell  in  with  hummocks  at  the  distance  of  ten 
miles  from  the  depot,  where  the  crowbars  were  brought  into  req- 
uisition; and  the  27th  was  consumed  in  making  three  miles. 
Another  deposit  was  now  made  to  lighten  the  sledges,  and  eight 
of  these  were  sent  homeward.  A  twenty-three  days'  supply  for  men  and 
dogs  was  here  buried,  and  only  four  sledges  and  five  men  remained  in 
WrangelPs  section.  This  was  at  70°  12'  by  174°.  On  the  29th  the  ice 
on  which  they  were  became  detached  from  the  main  body  in  a  storm,  but 
on  its  subsidence  became  again  united.  On  the  3ist  they  made  only  six 
miles,  and  were  only  ten  miles  from  the  coast.  Finding  the  way  due 
north  or  northeast  blocked  by  impassable  hummocks,  they  struck  out 
toward  the  west-northwest,  on  the  ist  of  April,  and  having  gone  about 
five  miles  they  came  to  a  place  where  the  covering  was  thin,  new  ice, 
too  frail  to  venture  on,  and  enqamped  on  its  margin.  But  the  next  day, 
seeing  no  alternative,  they  risked  the  new  ice,  and  had  the  good  fortune 
to  get  across  in- safety,  owing  largely  to  the  alertness  of  the  dogs  and  the 
lightness  of  the  sledges,  which  bore  at  this  time  only  a  few  days' 
provisions. 

Notwithstanding  these  advantages  the  trial  was  extremely  dan- 
gerous, as  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  heaviest  of  the  sledges  broke 
through  the  thin  crust  several  times,  but  only  to  be  whisked  out  the 
more  rapidly  by  the  dogs,  whose  energies  were  evidently  stimulated  by  a 
keen  sense  of  danger.  This  was  at  70°  20'  by  174°  13',  as  ascertained 
after  crossing.  On  the  night  of  the  3d,  after  having  made  twenty  miles, 
they  camped  among  hummocks  and  surrounded  by  fissures,  where  they 
got  detached,  but  succeeded  in  reaching  the  main  body  in  the  morning  by 
a  pontoon  bridge  of  ice  blocks.  Two  sledges  were  here  ordered  back 
to  the  depot,  and  their  provisions  transferred  to  the  remaining  two,  with 


DANGER.  261 

which  Wrangell  determined  if  possible  to  move  on  to  the  north.  On 
the  4th,  at  70°  51'  hy  175°  27',  and  distant  in  a  straight  line  from  land 
about  sixty  miles,  they  encountered  the  open  water,  not  less  than  300 
yards  wide,  and  extending  east  and  west  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

"We  climbed  one  of  the  loftiest  ice  hills,"  says  Wrangell, "affording  an 
extensive  view  toward  the  north,  and  from  thence  we  beheld  the  wide, 
immeasurable  ocean  spread  out  before  our  gaze.  It  was  a  fearful  and 
magnificent  spectacle,  though  to  us  a  melancholy  one.  Fragments  of  ice 
of  enormous  size  were  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  agitated  ocean,  and 
were  dashed  by  the  waves  with  awful  violence  against  the  edge  of  the 
field  on  the  farthest  side  of  the  channel  before  us.  These  collisions  were 
so  tremendous  that  large  masses  were  every  instant  broken  away,  and  it 
was  evident  that  the  portion  of  ice  which  still  divided  the  channel  from 
the  open  sea  would  soon  be  completely  destroyed.  Had  we  made 
the  attempt  to  ferry  ourselves  across  upon  one  of  the  detached  pieces  of 
ice,  there  would  have  been  no  firm  footing  on  reaching  the  opposite  side. 
Even  on  our  own  side  fresh  lanes  of  water  were  constantly  forming,  and 
extending  themselves  in  every  direction  in  the  field  behind  us.  We  could 
go  no  farther." 

On  the  night  of  the  5th  they  camped  at  the  second  depot  of  pi'ovi- 
sions,  where  they  found  the  two  returned  sledges  and  the  supplies  intact. 
)n  the  8th  they  were  in  imminent  danger,  having  been  detached  from 
the  main  body  on  a  floe  of  only  150  yards  wide.  "Every  moment,"  says 
Wrangell,  "huge  masses  of  ice  floating  around  us  were  dashed  against 
each  other  and  broken  into  a  thousand  fragments.  Meanwhile,  we  were 
tossed  to  and  fro  by  the  waves,  and  gazed,  in  helpless  inactivity,  on  the 
wild  conflict  of  the  elements,  expecting  every  moment  to  be  swallowed 
up.  We  had  been  three  long  hours  in  this  painful  position,  and  still  our 
island  held  together,  when  suddenly  it  was  caught  by  the  storm  and 
hurled  against  a  large  field  of  ice.  The  crash  was  terrific,  and  we  felt 
the  mass  beneath  us  giving  way,  and  separating  in  every  direction.  At 
that  dreadful  moment,  when  destruction  seemed  inevitable,  the  impulse 
of  self-preservation  implanted  in  every  living  being  saved  us.  Instinctively, 
and  with  the  quickness  of  thought,  we  sprang  on  the  sledges,  and  urged 


262  GRAVE  OF  SCHALAROW. 

the  dogs  to  their  utmost  speed.  They  flew  across  the  yielding  fragments 
of  the  field  against  which  it  had  been  stranded,  and  safely  reached  a 
part  of  it  of  firmer  character,  on  which  were  several  hummocks,  and 
here  the  dogs  immediately  ceased  running,  apparently  conscious  that  the 
danger  was  passed." 

Proceeding  forward  they  soon  reached  the  first  depot  of  provisions, 
and  taking  with  them  all  they  could,  they  hastened  to  the  shore  and 
camped  under  a  cliff  near  the  mouth  of  the  Werkon.  They  spent  the 
night  in  bringing  away  the  remainder  of  their  provisions  from  the  first 
depot;  but  some  they  had  left  at  the  second  could  not  be  reached.  On 
the  loth  they  rested,  and  ascertained  the  location,  which  was  found  to  be 
69°  51',  by  173°  34',  on  the  east  side  of  the  Werkon.  On  the  iith 
they  made  another  effort  to  reach  the  second  depot  of  provisions,  but 
encountered  too  many  water  lanes,  and  returned  in  six  hours,  Wrangell 
occupying  the  interval  in  examining  and  naming  Cape  Kekurnoi,  in  69° 
51'  by  174°  34'.  They  started  eastward  on  the  14th  in  the  hope  of 
falling  in  with  Matinschkin,  as  their  provisions  were  running  low,  and 
their  northern  depot  on  the  ice  could  not  be  reached.  They  had  gone 
over  forty  miles  without  meeting  him,  when  it  became  necessary  to  make 
for  the  central  depot  at  the  Greater  Baranicha,  two  hundred  miles  to  the 
west,  with  a  very  poor  prospect  of  being  able  to  reach  it,  as  their  pro- 
visions were  nearly  exhausted.  They  had  scarcely  proceeded  six  miles 
when,  to  their  great  joy,  they  fell  in  with  the  object  of  their  search, 
whom  they  found,  as  anticipated,  in  possession  of  full  supplies.  Matinsch- 
kin, during  his  survey  of  the  tundra  east  of  the  Werkon,  discovered  a 
hut  on  the  coast,  which  both  he  and  Wrangell  concluded  was  the  last 
resting  place  of  Schalarow,  in  1765,  who,  therefore,  succeeded  in  the  great 
object  of  his  ambition,  the  doubling  of  Cape  Schelagskoi,  but  did  not 
live  to  return  to  civilization. 

Before  leaving,  they  here, 69°  48'  by  176°  10', established  a  depot  of 
provisions,  and  sent  back  eight  sledges,  retaining  three  for  Matinschkin's 
party,  and  four  for  Wrangell's.  On  the  2oth  the  latter  reached  Cape 
Yakan,  69°  42',  by  176°  32',  whence,  according  to  certain  Tchuktchis, 
"the  northern  country"  was  sometimes  visible.  But  it  failed  to  appear 


A   NATIVE    TRADER.  263 

to  his  close  scrutiny.  About  three  miles  farther  they  reached  the  Yakan 
River.  Nine  miles  to  the  east,  at  69°  36', by  176°  58',  "the  warmth  of 
the  weather  obliged  them  to  halt."  Here  they  observed  bones  of  the 
whale  stuck  upright,  and  were  informed  by  the  Tchuktchis  that  they 
were  the  remains  of  dwellings  formerly  occupied  by  a  resident  tribe, 
which  had  disappeared.  Traveling  forty  miles  from  their  halting  place, 
they  arrived  at  69°  28',  by  177°  44',  where  they  had  the  good  fortune 
to  fall  in  with  a  lot  of  driftwood,  mostly  fir  and  pine. 

On  the  2  ist  Matinschkin  made  one  more  break  for  the  north, 
taking  the  ice,  with  his  three  sledges,  and  provisions  for  fifteen 
days,  while  Wrangell,  Kosmin,  and  Kyber  proceeded  east  with  the 
other  four  sledges,  and  provisions  for  thirteen  days.  The  last-named 
crossed  Kuyegan  River,  twenty-eight  miles  to  the  east,  and  reaching 
69°  12',  by  179°  13'}  seven  and  a  half  miles  farther,  by  five  o'clock 
the  next  morning,  they  halted.  Having  journeyed  thirteen  and  a 
half  miles  along  the  coast,  which  here  trends  a  little  south  of  east, 
they  reached  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  the  headland  which  Capt. 
Cook  had  sighted  in  1778,  and  named  Cape  North.  Here  they  met 
Etel  and  his  tribe  of  Tchuktchis,  who  evinced  a  friendly  disposition. 
Inviting  Wrangell  to  his  tent,  "  There,"  said  he,  "  look  well  at  all  those 
things,  take  from  them  what  you  like,  and  give  me  in  return  a  gun,  and 
powder  and  shot,  as  I  am  very  fond  of  hunting,  and  am  sure  I  could  use 
a  gun  better  than  the  mountain  Tchuktchis,  among  whom  I  once  saw 
one,  and  shot  with  it."  A  barter  was  effected  for  thirteen  seals  and  a 
supply  of  firewood,  which  were  more  valuable  than  all  the  household 
treasures  of  the  chief.  With  Etel  as  guide,  they  set  out  on  the  25th  for 
Kolyutschin — by  Cook  named  Burney — Island,  and  having  made  fifty 
miles,  they  halted  in  the  night  at  the  huts  of  two  Tchuktchi  families 
known  to  the  chief.  Twenty-three  miles  farther  on  they  crossed  the 
Ekechta  River,  also  three  smaller  streams,  which  fall  into  the  same  bay, 
and  the  Amguyim  River.  Eight  miles  beyond,  where  the  tundra  again 
gives  way  to  more  elevated  land,  they  ascertained  the  latitude  to  be  68° 
10',  and  longitude  182°  6'.  They  made  nearly  fifty  miles  on  the  second 
day,  also,  reaching  a  small  settlement  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Wankarem 


264  A    STRANGE  INSTITUTION. 

River,  and  near  the  Cape  of  that  name.  "  There  is  a  remarkable  simi- 
larity," says  Wrangell,  "between  the  three  promontories  of  Schelagskoi, 
Ir-Kaipij  and  Wankarem.  They  all  consist  of  fine  grained  syenite,  with 
greenish  white  feldspar,  dark  green  hornblende  and  mica,  and  are  united 
to  the  mainland  by  a  narrow  isthmus.  The  elevation  of  the  headland 
and  breadth  of  the  isthmus  are  greatest  at  Cape  Schelagskoi,  and  least 
at  Cape  Wankarem." 

On  the  27th,  doubling  Cape  Onman,  they  sighted  Kolyutschin, 
or  Burney  Island,  about  twenty  miles  to  the  southeast  in  the  en- 
trance to  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  looking  like  a  circular  moun- 
tain. On  the  southern  shore  was  a  Tchuktchi  village,  where 
some  seventy  men  soon  gathered  around  the  strangers,  eager  to  trade 
whale's  flesh,  of  which  they  had  an  abundance,  for  tobacco  and  trinkets. 
They  rested  two  days  on  the  island,  and  not  'having  wherewith  to  con- 
tinue his  barter  with  the  natives,  Wrangell  now  determined  to  re-tra- 
verse the  600  miles  that  separated  him  from  Nishni  Kolymsk.  He  had 
reached  the  point  where  Captain  Billings'  survey  from  the  east  had  left 
off,  a  generation  before.  Ascertaining  the  location  of  the  southern  point 
of  the  island  to  be  67°  27'  by  184°  24',  they  set  out  on  the  return 
trip  on  the  evening  of  the  29th,  and  three  days  later  arrived  at  Etel's 
village,  back  of  Cape  North.  A  peculiarity  noticed  among  the  Tchuk- 
tchis  of  the  coast  was  the  existence  of  a  class  of  servants,  entirely  depend- 
ent upon  the  wealthier  of  the  natives,  by  whom  they  were  fed  and  clothed 
in  return  for  their  services,  and  not  entitled  to  hold  property  of  any  kmd; 
in  fact,  slaves.  Of  this  institution  no  history  or  explanation  was  offered, 
other  than  that  "  it  had  always  been  so,  and  must  always  continue  to 
be  so." 

On  the  6th  of  May  they  reached  the  point  whence  Matinschkin 
had  started  northward,  and  found  a  cross  erected  by  him,  with  a  notice 
attached  stating  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  get  farther  than  ten  miles 
from  the  coast,  owing  to  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice.  On  the  7th  they 
slept  at  Schalarow's  hut,  and  six  days  later  reached  the  village  to  the  rear 
of  Cape  Schelagskoi,  with  their  provisions  for  men  and  dogs  exhausted. 
The  natives  had  had  a  bad  season  of  hunting  and  fishing  since  their  de- 


CLOSE   OF    WRANGELVS  EFFORTS.  265 

parture,  and  could  give  them  but  little  assistance.  So  there  was  nothing 
to  do  except  to  push  on  for  the  Greater  Baranicha,  with  dogs  foot-sore 
and  weary,  but  eager  to  get  ahead  as  fast  as  possible.  Reaching  their 
supplies  on  the  i5th,  they  remained  two  days  in  camp  to  rest  the  over- 
worked animals,  and  on  the  i^th  resumed  their  journey.  On  the  22d 
they  arrived  at  Nishni  Kolymsk,  after  an  absence  of  seventy-eight  days, 
and  a  round  trip  of  1330  miles.  Matinschkin  had  arrived  on  the  i6th, 
having  taken  occasion  to  survey  Tchaun  Bay  on  his  return  from  his  fruit- 
less journey  to  the  north.  He  and  Kyber  left  for  St.  Petersburg  about 
the  middle  of  July,  and  Wrangell  and  Kosmin  followed  toward  the  end 
of  August,  1823. 

Thus  closed  this  remarkable  series  of  sledge  journeys  over  the  ice  of 
the  Polar  Sea,  leaving  the  parties  engaged  therein  still  disposed  to  believe 
in  the  existence  of  the  alleged  northern  country,  the  discovery  of  which 
was  denied  to  their  long  continued  efforts  and  heroic  endurance.  Wran- 
gell suggested  that  if  the  attempt  should  be  resumed,  Cape  Yakan  ought 
to  be  selected  as  the  base  of  operations.  Too  much  time,  energy  and 
provisions  were  necessarily  wasted  before  getting  fairly  under  way  from 
Nishni  Kolymsk.  The  ice  king  of  the  north  had  proved  unconquerable. 
Four  well-planned  campaigns  had  been  fought  and  lost,  the  vanquished 
retiring  with  only  the  sense  of  having  bravely  done  their  utmost  to  obtain 
an  almost  impossible  victory.  Had  they  started  from  Cape  Yakan  there 
is  little  reason  to  doubt  that  they  would  have  discovered  the  object  of 
their  search,  of  which  the  southwestern  corner  was  only  about  one  degree 
to  the  east,  and  a  degree  and  a  half  to  the  north  of  that  point,  or  about 
103  miles  in  a  direct  line  to  the  northeast. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

PARRY'S  SECOND  VOYAGE  TO  THE  NORTHWEST  —  SHARP  NATIVES  — 

CAIRNS  DISCOVERED NUMEROUS   DISCOVERIES EXPLORATION 

IN  BOATS IN  WINTER  QUARTERS THEATRICALS  AS  A  PASTIME 

ESQUIMAUX  SNOW  HUTS INTELLIGENCE  AMONG   NATIVES — A 

NORTHERN   GEOGRAPHER — A  SORCERER KILLED  BY  A  FALL. 

The  second  expedition  under  Commander  Parry  comprised  the  Fury 
of  377  tons,  and  the  Hecla,  of  the  previous  expedition,  of  375  tons,,  to  be 
accompanied  by  the  transport  Nautilus  until  they  reached  the  ice. '  The 
instructions  were  to  proceed  to  Hudson's  Strait,  and  thence  through 
Hudson's  Bay  to  Rowe's  Welcome,  or  through  Fox  Channel  to  Repulse 
Bay,  on  the  south  coast  of  Melville  Peninsula.  From  the  neighborhood 
thus  indicated  it  was  hoped  a  channel  might  be  found  to  the  Pacific,  and 
if  they  should  succeed  in  reaching  that  ocean  by  any  route,  they  were  to 
proceed  through  Behring  Strait  to  Kamchatka,  and  thence  to  the  Sand- 
wich Islands,  or  to  the  Canton  River,  in  China,  where  they  were  to 
refit  and  re-victual  before  returning  to  England.  Though  Parry's 
commission  was  dated  Dec.  30,  1820,  they  did  not  leave  the  coast  of 
England  until  May  i,  1821.  The  Hecla  was  under  the  immediate  com- 
mand of  Capt.  George  Francis  Lyon,  and  the  Nautilus  was  in  charge 
of  Lieut.  Scymgour.  On  the  I4th  of  June,  in  latitude  60°  48',  and  lon- 
gitude 53°  13',  in  the  entrance  to  Davis'  Strait,  they  met  the  first  ice- 
berg, and  in  obedience  to  instructions  took  the  surplus  stores  of  the  trans- 
port aboard  the  Fury  and  Hecla. 

The  Nautilus  was  ready  for  dismissal  on  the  first  of  July,  when 
she  proceeded  on  the  homeward  voyage,  and  her  late  consorts  made 
for  the  ice.  Two  days  later  these  were  stopped  by  the  ice-floe, 
with  over  thirty  icebergs  in  sight,  and  on  the  5th  were  completely 
beset  by  the  ice,  against  which  they  were  often  driven  with  some 

266 


UNNATURAL  PARENTS.  267 

violence,  but  without  serious  injury,  both  being  very  strongly  built,  and 
well  adapted  for  the  rough  usage  they  received.  Eight  days  later  they 
sighted  two  vessels  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  on  the  14th  the 
Lord  Wellington,  with  160  settlers,  mostly  foreigners,  for  the  Red  River 
of  the  North.  A  week  later,  by  constant  effort  in  taking  advantage  of 
every  opening,  and  by  forcing  their  way  where  no  such  opening  offered, 
they  reached  61°  50'  13"  by  67°  7'  35",  in  the  entrance  of  Hudson's 
.Strait,  and  in  sight  of  Saddle-back  Island.  Here,  while  anchored  to  an 
ice-floe  about  four  or  five  miles  from  land,  they  were  visited  by  over  one 
hundred  Esquimaux,  male  and  female,  all  very  eager  to  traffic,  but  by  no 
means  willing  to  part  with  their  wares  at  a  sacrifice.  Parry  found  this 
tribe  or  horde  much  less  honorable  than  the  small  body  he  had  encoun- 
tered the  previous  year.  They  were  ready  to  steal  all  they  could,  and 
even  offered  to  barter  their  children  for  goods.  "  They  seem  to  have 
acquired,"  says  Parry,  "  by  an  annual  intercourse  with  our  ships  for 
nearly  a  hundred  years,  many  of  the  vices  which  unhappily  attend  a  first 
intercourse  with  the  civilized  world,  without  having  imbibed  any  of  the 
virtues  or  refinements  which  adorn  and  render  it  happy." 

On  Sunday,  the  22d  of  July,  a  favorable  wind  arose,  and  they  pro- 
ceeded rapidly,  under  all  sail,  through  the  Straits,  finding  ample  open- 
ings between  the  ice-floes.  They  were  not  a  little  surprised  at  the 
amount  of  rocks,  shells  and  weeds  which  they  noticed  on  these  floes. 
"  Masses  of  rocks,"  says  the  observant  commander,  "  not!  less  than  a 
hundred  pounds  in  weight,  are  sometimes  observed  in  the  middle  of  a 
floe,  measuring  half  a  mile  or  more  each  way,  and  of  which  the  whole 
surface  is  more  or  less  covered  with  smaller  stones,  sand  and  shells." 

On  the  first  of  August  they  arrived  off  Southampton  Island,  and 
were  visited  by  some  natives  with  whom  they  changed  commodities. 
"  Many  of  the  jackets  of  these  people,  and  particularly  those  of  the 
females,  were  lined  with  the  skins  of  birds,  having  the  feathers  inside." 
Skirting  the  north  coast  of  this  large  island  or  group,  they  arrived  on 
the  1 5th,  at  a  bold  headland,  which  Parry  named  Cape  Bylot,  judging  it 
to  be  the  most  western  point  seen  by  the  navigator  of  that  name  in  Fox 
Channel,  in  1615.  Having  soon  arrived  within  five  or  six  miles  of  the 
I 


268 


AN  ARCTIC  NECROPOLIS. 


entrance  to  what  Capt.  Middleton  had  named  the  Frozen  Strait  in  1742, 
the  commander,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Ross,  went  ashore  east  of  Cape 
Welsford,  where  they  found  the  coast  about  1000  feet  high,  but  indented 
with  a  number  of  small  caves  at  short  intervals  between  the  projecting 
caves  of  gneiss.  In  one  of  these  they  improvised  a  tent  and  remained 
over  night;  but  a  favorable  wind  arising  they  hastened  aboard  on  the 
morning  of  the  lyth,  and  making  all  sail,  discovered  "  one  of  the  most 
secure  and  extensive  harbors  in  the  whole  world,"  which  they  named 


Duke  of  York's  Bay, 
opening  south  from  Cape 
Welsford.  They  here 
found  the  remains  of  an 
extensive  Esquimaux  en- 
campment, which  they 
judged  to  be  capable  of 
accommodating  over  120 
persons.  These  huts  did 
not  present  any  novel 
features  of  construction, 
but  three  miles  farther 
inland  they  fell  in  with 
what  they  judged  to  be 
a  native  burial  ground. 


DRESS  OF  NATIVES. 


Here  they  found  nine  or 
ten  cairns,  about  three 
feet  in  height,  and  as 
many  wide  at  the  base. 
In  a  cursory  examination 
they  found  one  skull,  and 
a  n  u  m  b  e  r  of  s  m  a  1 1 
objects,  such  as  arrow 
heads,  spear  heads,  and 
miniature  canoes — repre- 
sentatives of  the  imple- 
ments most  used  by  the 
deceased  during  life. 

On  August  21   they 
arrived,    through   the 


Frozen  Strait,  at  the  northern  entrance  of  Rowe's  Welcome,  in  thick 
weather,  and  passing  its  northeastern  headland,  the  Cape  Frigid, 
of  Middleton,  they  found  themselves  on  the  22d,  in  the  land-locked 
inlet  to  the  northwest,  known  as  Repulse  Bay.  They  ascertained 
their  exact  situation  to  be  in  latitude  66°  30'  58",  just  58",  or  about 
one  mile  north  of  the  Arctic  Circle,  and  in  longitude  86°  30'  20". 
Having  been  instructed  to  "keep  along  the  line  of  this  coast  to 
the  northward,  always  examining  every  bend  or  inlet  which  might 
appear  likely  to  afford  a  practicable  passage  to  the  westward," 
over  six  weeks  were  spent  in  carefully  following,  examining  and 
surveying  the  coast  line  for  about  600  miles.  They  discovered  Kurd's 


DIFFICULTIES  OF  ICE  NAVIGATION.  269 

Channel,  so  called  in  honor  of  Thomas  Hurd,  hydrographer  to  the 
British  Admiralty,  Gore  Bay,  Lyon  Inlet,  Hoppner  Inlet,  and  Ross  Bay, 
besides  Bushman,  Vansittart,  and  Sturges  Bourne  Islands,  Cape  Mon- 
tague and  Brook's  Bluff,  named  in  honor  of  the  officers  of  the  expedi- 
tion. They  began  their  slow  northern  progress  on  the  23d  of  August, 
and  went  into  winter  quarters  on  the  Sth  of  October.  Before  that  date 
they  had  found  new  ice  of  the  season  beginning  to  form,  and  Parry  thus 
describes  the  obstruction  it  presents  to  successful  navigation: 

"  The  formation  of  young  ice  upon  the  surface  of  the  water 
is  the  circumstance  which  most  decidedly  begins  to  put  a,  stop  to 
the  navigation  of  these  seas,  and  warns  the  seaman  that  his  season 
of  active  operations  is  nearly  at  an  end.  It  is  indeed  scarcely  pos- 
sible to  conceive  the  degree  of  hindrance  occasioned  by  this  im- 
pediment, trifling  as  it  always  appears  before  it  is  encountered. 
When  the  sheet  has  acquired  a  thickness  of  about  half  an  inch, 
and  is  of  considerable  extent,  a  ship  is  liable  to  be  stopped  by  it  unless 

favored  by  a  strong  and  free  wind;  and  even  when  still   retaining  her 

• 

way  through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  an  hour,  our  course  is  not 
always  under  the  control  of  our  helmsman,  but  depends  upon  some  acci- 
dental decrease  or  increase  in  the  thickness  of  the  sheets  of  ice  with 
which  one  bow  or  the  other  comes  in  contact.  A  ship  in  this  helpless 
state,  her  sails  in  vain  expanded  to  a  favorable  breeze,  her  ordinary  re- 
sources failing,  and  suddenly  arrested  in  her  course  upon  the  element 
through  which  she  has  been  accustomed  to  move  without  restraint,  has 
often  reminded  me  of  Gulliver  tied  down  by  the  feeble  hands  of  Lilli- 
putians. Nor  are  the  struggles  she  makes  to  effect  her  release,  and  the 
apparent  insignificance  of  the  means  by  which  her  efforts  are  opposed, 
the  least  just  or  least  vexatious  part  of  the  resemblance." 

They  were  at  one  time  driven  across  to  Southampton  Island,  finding 
themselves,  on  the  2d  of  September,  almost  at  the  spot  they  had 
left  on  the  6th  of  August,  which  serves  "  to  show,"  says  Parry,  "  the 
value  of  even  the  smallest  geographical  information  in  seas  where  not  an 
hour  must  be  thrown  away,  or  unprofitably  employed."  On  the  5th  of 
September  they  again  sailed  northward,  and  leaving  the  ships  in  as 


370 


IN   WINTER  QUARTERS.  271 

sheltered  spots  as  could  be  found,  they  carried  on  the  exploration  of  the 
coast  in  repeated  trips  by  boat,  using  the  ships  as  a  base  of  supplies,  to 
which  they  returned  when  needful.  Thus  they  labored  indefatigably 
until  the  8th  of  October,  when  the  new  ice  was  already  three  and  a  half 
inches  thick.  "  In  reviewing  the  events  of  this,  our  first  season  of  navi- 
gation," says  Parry,  "  and  considering  what  progress  we  had  made 
toward  the  accomplishment  of  our  main  object,  it  was  impossible,  how- 
ever trifling  that  object  might  appear  on  the  chart,  not  to  experience  con- 
siderable satisfaction.  Small  as  our  actual  advance  had  been  toward 
Bchring's  Strait,  the  extent  of  coast  newly  discovered  and  minutely  ex- 
plored in  pursuit  of  our  object  in  the  course  of  the  last  eight  weeks, 
amounted  to  more  than  two  hundred  leagues,  nearly  half  of  which  be- 
longed to  the  Continent  of  North  America.  This  service,  notwithstand- 
ing our  constant  exposure  to  the  risks  which  intricate  shoal  and  unknown 
channels,  a  sea  loaded  with  ice,  and  a  rapid  tide  concurred  in  presenting, 
had  providentially  been  effected  without  injury  to  the  ships,  or  suffering 
to  the  officers  and  men ;  and  we  had  now  once  more  met  with  tolerable 
security  for  the  season." 

IN   WINTER  QUARTERS. 

The  bay  selected  for  winter  quarters  on  what  they  named  Winter 
Island,  at  the  entrance  to  Lyon's  Inlet,  "  was,"  says  Parry,  "  as  fine  a 
roadstead  as  could  be  desired  if  situated  in  a  more  temperate  climate," 
but  was  entirely  open  to  the  south.  The  ships  were  therefore  exposed 
to  a  double  danger  from  ice-floes  driven  against  them  from  the  south,  or 
against  which  they  might  be  driven  if  torn  from  their  moorings  by  a  gale 
from  the  north.  The  chief  protection  was  from  the  new-made  ice  be- 
tween them  and  the  heavier  bodies  to  the  south,  and  in  the  commander's 
fertility  of  resource  in  any  emergency  which  might  arise.  Having  per- 
fected their  arrangements  for  the  security  of  the  ships  and  stores,  as  well 
as  for  the  warmth  and  comfort  of  officers  and  men — substantially  the 
same  as  on  the  previous  expedition,  but  with  the  improvements  sug- 
gested by  that  experience — they  were  ready  to  be  amused.  After  a  few 
days  spent  in  "rigging  the  theater,"  the  season  of  1831-3  opened  auspi- 


272  ESQUIMAUX  SNOW-HUTS. 

ciously  on  the  pth  of  November,  with  Sheridan's  comedy  of  "  The 
Rivals,"  Ca.pt.  Lyon  taking  the  place  of  manager,  so  acceptably  filled  by 
Lieut.  Beechey  of  the  former  expedition.  Musical  concerts  alternated 
with  theatrical  representations,  and  a  school  was  opened,  but  the  news- 
paper venture  does  not  seem  to  have  been  renewed.  Christmas  was 
celebrated  with  such  of  the  usual  observances  and  festivities  as  they  could 
command,  and  the  general  health  was  excellent,  there  being  only  a  sin- 
gle case  of  sickness,  the  carpenter's  mate.  "  To  increase  our  ordinary 
issue  of  anti-scorbutics,  liberal  as  it  already  was,"  says  Parry,  "  we  had 
from  the  commencement  of  the  winter  adopted  a  regular  system  of  grow- 
ing mustard  and  cress,  which  the  superior  warmth  of  the  ships  now  ena- 
bled us  to  do  on  a  larger  scale  than  before.  Each  mess,  both  of  the  offi- 
cers' and  ship's  company,  was  for  this  purpose  furnished  with  a  shallow 
box  filled  with  mold,  in  which  a  crop  could  generally  be  raised  in  from 
eight  to  ten  days."  On  the  iSth  of  January,  1822,  the  stove-pipe  in  the 
commander's  cabin  took  fire,  creating  a  momentary  alarm,  but  no  dam- 
age. '  On  the  ist  of  February  they  were  very  agreeably  surprised  by  a 
visit  from  a  party  of  Esquimaux,  who  had  settled  in  winter  quarters 
about  two  miles  from  the  ships.  A  small  party  of  English  accompanied 
them  to  the  village,  which  consisted  of  five  huts  recently  erected.  The 
establishment  comprised  sixty  persons,  with  their  dogs,  sledges  and 
canoes.  On  examination  it  was  found  that  the  huts  were  made  entirely 
of  snow  and  ice.  "After  creeping  through  two  low  passages  having  each 
its  arched  doorway,  we  came  to  a  small  circular  apartment,  of  which  the 
roof  was  a  perfect  arched  dome.  From  this  three  doorways,  also  arched, 
and  of  larger  dimensions  than  the  outer  ones,  led  into  as  many  inhabited 
apartments,  one  on  each  side,  and  the  other  facing  us  as  we  entered.  The 
women  were  seated  on  the  beds  at  the  sides  of  the  huts,  each  bavins'  her 

O 

little  fireplace  or  lamp,  with  all  her  domestic  utensils  about  her.  The 
children  crept  behind  their  mothers,  and  the  dogs  slunk  past  us  in  dis- 
may. The  construction  of  this  inhabited  part  of  the  hut  was  similar  to 
that  of  the  outer  apartment,  being  a  dome  formed  by  separate  blocks  of 
snow  laid  with  great  regularity,  and  no  small  art,  each  being  cut  into 
the  shape  required  to  form  a  substantial  arch,  from  seven  to  eight  feet 


273 


274  PARRTS  EULOGT  ON  THE  NATIVES. 

high  in  the  center,  and  having  no  support  whatever  except  what  this  prin- 
ciple of  building  supplies.  Sufficient  light  was  admitted  into  these  curi- 
ous edifices  by  a  circular  window  of  ice,  neatly  fitted  into  the  roof  of  each 
apartment."  The  unexpected  cleanliness  .of  these  huts  astonished  the  vis- 
itors, but  they  afterward  found  that  it  was  largely  due  to  their  newness. 
The  usage  of  a  few  months  made  them  much  less  attractive,  but  the  tribe 
were  nevertheless  judged  to  be  more  neat  than  most  of  their  race.  With 
one  or  two  exceptions  they  were  found  to  be  honest,  and  in  their  domes- 
tic relations  quite  affectionate.  One  of  the  boys  declined  all  overtures  to 
leave  his  parents  because  it  would  make  them  ciy.  The  women  were 
occupied  with  the  usual  domestic  cares,  and  not  required  to  take  part  in 
fishing  or  hunting.  But  few  of  them  could  count  beyond  five,  and  were 
slow  to  learn  English.  Yet  within  the  range  of  their  own  experience 
they  were  sharp  and  alert.  They  kept  themselves  comfortably  and 
neatly  clothed,  and  were  ingenious  in  devising  means  of  providing  for 
their  wants.  When  their  supply  of  food  ran  low  for  a  few  days,  and  the 
ship's  bounty  was  extended  to  them,  it  was  noticed  that  their  first  care, 
before  partaking  of  any  of  it,  was  to  hurry  back  to  the  village  to  feed  their 
little  ones. 

There  was  noticeable  among  them  the  usual  variety  of  disposition 
and  intellect;  and  Parry  grows  enthusiastic  over  one  of  the  boys  in 
whom  he  recognized  an  aptness  to  learn,  which  would  have  made  him  a 
famous  scholar  in  England.  His  sister,  Iligliuk,  also  attracted  their  no- 
tice by  her  marked  intelligence  and  love  of  music,  and  became  useful  as 
an  interpreter  between  the  English  and  the  more  stolid  or  indifferent  of 
the  tribe.  Having  observed  that  they  were  acquainted  with  the  four  car- 
dinal points  of  the  compass,  the  commander  marked  them  on  a  sheet  of 
paper,  on  which  he  designated  also  a  spot  to  represent  the  location  of  the 
ships.  Iligliuk  was  then  requested  « to  complete  the  rest,  and  to  do  it 
mtkkee  (small),  when,  with  a  countenance  of  the  most  grave  attention 
and  peculiar  intelligence,  she  drew  the  coast  of  the  continent  beyond  her 
own  country,  as  lying  nearly  north  from  Winter  Island.  The  most  im- 
portant part  still  remained,  and  it  would  have  amused  an  unconcerned 
looker-on  to  have  observed  the  anxiety  and  suspense  depicted  on  the 


SOUVENIRS.  275 

countenances  of  our  part  of  the  group  till  this  was  accomplished,  for 
never  were  the  tracings  of  a  pencil  marked  with  more  earnest  solicitude. 
Our  surprise  and  satisfaction  may,  therefore,  in  some  degree  be  imagined, 
when,  without  taking  the  pencil  from  the  paper,  Iligliuk  brought  the 
continental  coast  short  round  to  the  westward,  and  afterward  to  the  south- 
southeast,  so  as  to  come  within  a  few  days'  journey  of  Repulse  Bay. 
The  country  thus  situated  upon  the  shores  of  the  Western  or  Polar 
Sea  is  called  Akkoolee  (now  Melville  Peninsula),  and  is  inhabited  by 
numerous  Esquimaux;  and  half  way  between  that  coast  and  Repulse 
Bay,  Iligliuk  drew  a  lake  of  considerable  size,  having  small  streams 
from  it  to  the  sea  on  each  side.  To  this  lake  her  countrymen  are  annu- 
ally in  the  habit  of  resorting  during  summer,  and  catch  there  large  fish 
of  the  salmon  kind,  while  on  the  banks  are  found  abundance  of  reindeer. 
To  the  westward  of  Akkoolee,  as  far  as  they  can  see  from  the  hills,  which 
she  described  as  high  ones,  nothing  can  be  seen  but  one  wide,  extended 
sea.  Being  desirous  of  seeing  whether  Iligliuk  would  interfere  with 
Wager  River  (about  loo  miles  to  the  south  of  Winter  Island,  opening 
to  the  west  from  Rowe's  Welcome),  as  we  know  it  to  exist,  I  requested 
her  to  continue  the  coast  line  to  the  southward  of  Akkoolee,  when  she 
immediately  dropped  the  pencil  and  said  she  knew  no  more  about  it." 
"  Others  of  the  more  intelligent  of  the  tribe  being  tested  on  the  same 
subject,  '*  their  delineations  of  the  coast  made  without  any  concert  among 
them,  agreed  in  a  surprising  manner."  From  the  head  of  Repulse  Bay 
to  the  northern  sea  of  these  Esquimaux,  now  known  as  the  Gulf  of 
Boothia,  was  three  senicks  (sleeps),  or  days'  journey. 

"  Considering  it  desirable,"  says  Parry,  "  to  increase  by  all  the  means 
in  our  power  the  chances  of  these  people  giving  information  of  us,  we 
distributed  among  several  of  the  men  large  round  medallions  of  sheet 
copper,  having  these  words  punched  through  them :  '  H.  B.  M.  S.  Fury 
and  Hecla,  all  well,  A.  D.  1822.'"  Smaller  medals  with  "  Fury  and 
Hecla,  1822,"  only,  were  given  to  the  women,  to  be  shown  to  any  Kab- 
loojia  (Europeans)  they  might  fall  in  with.  Five  or  six  of  the  most  de- 
serving men  were  presented  with  staffs  for  their  spears,  into  the  wood  of 
which  were  driven  small  nails  forming  the  words  "Fury  and  Hecla,  1822." 


276  A   SORCEROR. 

As  the  weather  grew  warmer,  the  huts  were  felt  to  be  too  confined, 
and  they  proceeded  to  enlarge  them  in  a  manner  highly  creditable  to 
their  ingenuity.  They  built  the  new  around  and  over  the  old,  which 
they  then  removed  from  within.  They  had  early  exhibited  to  their  vis- 
itors, at  the  commander's  request,  the  method  of  construction,  erecting 
one  in  their  presence  in  a  few  hours.  Parry  and  some  others  accom- 
panied them  in  one  of  their  seal-fishing  expeditions,  and  noted  with  sur- 
prise and  admiration  the  skill,  patience  and  endurance  with  which  they 
carried  on  that  important  business.  "It  was  impossible  not  to  admire  the 
fearlessness  as  well  as  dexterity  with  which  the  Esquimaux  invariably 
pursued  it."  Among  other  noteworthy  characteristics  of  these  people  it 
was  observed  that,  although  the  seal  or  walrus,  or  whatever  else  they 
succeeded  in  catching,  was  invariably  taken  to  the  hut  of  the  party  im- 
mediately concerned  in  securing  it,  all  others  were  made  partakers  of 
this  good  fortune.  Early  in  March  a  number  of  them  transferred  their 
residence  to  the  ice,  some  five  or  six  miles  from  the  ships,  perhaps  for 
greater  convenience  in  fishing,  and  quickly  erected  four  new  huts. 
Some  two  weeks  later  they  were  joined  by  others  from  the  old  village, 
and  a  few  erected  huts  near  the  ships;  but  far  or  near,  intercourse  was 
kept  up.  The  English  noted  many  superstitious  practices  among  them ; 
and  one  was  found  to  be  an  acknowledged  angetkook,  or  sorcerer,  who 
was  believed  to  have  a  toorngo-w,  or  familiar  spirit.  He  was  about 
forty-five  years  of  age,  and  bore  the  name  of  Ewerat.  He  did  not  seem 
to  be  a  conscious  impostor,  but  on  the  contrary,  was  a  sensible,  obliging 
man,  and  a  first-rate  seal  catcher.  When  appealed  to  on  occasion  of  ill- 
ness, or  for  other  purpose,  to  exercise  his  art,  *  his  lips  began  to  quiver, 
his  nose  moved  up  and  down,  his  eyes  gradually  closed,  and  the  vio- 
lence of  his  grimaces  increased  until  every  feature  was  hideously  dis- 
torted; at  the  same  time  he  moved  his  head  rapidly  from  side  to  side, 
uttering  sometimes  a  snuffling  sound,  and  at  others  a  raving  sort  of  cry. 
Having  worked  himself  into  this  ridiculous  sort  of  frenzy,  which  lasted 
perhaps  from  twenty  to  thirty  seconds,  he  suddenly  discontinued  it  and 
suffered  his  features  to  relax  into  their  natural  form;  but  the  motion  of 
his  head  seemed  to  have  so  stupefied  him,  as  indeed  it  well  might,  that 


DEATH  FROM  A   FALL  277 

there  remained  an  unusual  vacancy  and  a  drowsy  stare  upon  his  counte- 
nance for  some  time  afterward.  Togalat,  his  wife,  asked  him  in  a  se- 
rious tone  some  questions  respecting  me,  which  he  as  seriously  answered." 
Early  in  May  Capt.  Lyon,  accompanied  by  Lieut.  Palmer,  five  sea- 
men and  three  marines, -was  dispatched  on  an  exploring  expedition,  with 
provisions  for  twenty  days.  He  was  instructed,  after  crossing  to  the  con- 
tinent to  proceed  along  that  coast  to  the  northward,  carefully  examining 
any  bend  or  inlet  he  might  meet  with,  so  as  to  leave  no  doubt,  if  possible, 
of  its  actual  extent  and  communications,  thereby  preventing  the  neces- 
sity of  the  ships  entering  it  on  their  arrival  there."  The  result  of  this 
expedition,  from  which  they  returned  in  safety  on  the  evening  of  the 
2 1st,  was  to  confirm  what  they  had  learned  from  Iligliuk,  of  the  con- 
formation of  the  mainland,  around  the  northern  extremity  of  which  they 
hoped  to  find  the  coveted  passage  to  the  Polar  Sea.  On  the  1 5th  James 
Pringle,  a  seaman,  was  instantly  killed  by  falling  from  the  topmast  to 
the  deck  of  the  Hecla;  and  forty  days  later  they  lost  two  men  on  the 
Fury,  by  disease;  William  Souler,  quartermaster,  after  a  short  illness, 
and  the  invalid,  Reid. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

PARRY    ATTEMPTS    TO    FREE    HIS    SHIPS IGLOOKLIK    ISLAND A    NE- 
CROPOLIS  SUPPOSED     DISCOVERY    OF    THE      POLAR      SEA HECLA 

AND      FURY      STRAIT  GLUTTONY UNUSUAL      PHENOMENON  — 

MELVILLE    PENINSULA    EXPLORED SUCCESSFUL    ANGLING STILL 

BESET  DEATH       FROM       SCURVY  —  WELCOME       AT        SHETLAND 

ISLANDS. 

From  the  30!  to  the  2ist  of  June  they  were  engaged  in  cutting  canals 
for  the  ships  to  escape  to  sea  whenever  an  opportunity  offered.  This 
opportunity  was  supplemented  by  the  action  of  the  ice  itself  toward  the 
close  of  their  labors.  On  the  I9th  a  body  of  sea  ice  was  driven  by  a 
southerly  breeze  against  the  bay  ice,  which,  weakened  by  their  labors, 
broke  asunder,  forming  a  new  channel,  but  closing  the  canal  they  had 
constructed.  In  a  few  days  the  action  of  the  wind  and  tide  reversed,  re- 
opening the  artificial  channel,  into  which  they  hastened  to  float  some 
loose  masses  of  ice  to  keep  the  sides  from  being  again  driven  together. 
It  was  not,  however,  till  the  3d  of  July,  after  almost  nine  months'  deten- 
tion, that  the  ships  were  able  to  leave  the  roadstead.  Sailing  northward, 
they  were  in  great  danger  from  ice-floes  and  icebergs  until  the  I2th, 
when  they  reached,  in  latitude  67°  18',  the  mouth  of  a  river,  where  they 
anchored.  This  they  named  Barrow  River,  in  honor  of  Sir  John  Bar- 
row, secretary  to  the  admiralty,  and  an  active  promoter  of  Arctic  voy- 
ages. On  the  next  day,  in  pushing  their  exploration  up  stream,  they 
found  a  beautiful  cascade  of  two  falls  of  ninety  and  fifteen  feet,  respec- 
tively. Higher  up  they  found  two  other  smaller  cataracts;  and  were,  alto- 
gether, much  delighted  with  the  novelty  of  the  experience.  Their 
pleasure  was  further  enhanced  by  the  richness  of  the  vegetation  on  its 
banks,  and  the  killing  of  some  reindeer.  Leaving  Barrow  River  with  a 
favorable  wind  they  soon  reached  a  headland,  which  they  named  Cape 

278 


IGLOOKLIK  ISLAND.  279 

Penrhyn,  and  on  the  next  day  encountered  great  numbers  of  walrus,  as 
they  had  been  led  to  expect  from  the  accounts  previously  given  by  Ilig- 
liuk  and  the  other  Esquimaux.  They  were  seen  lying  in  large  herds 
upon  loose  pieces  of  drift-ice,  huddled  close  together,  and  even  upon  one 
another,  not  less  than  two  hundred  being  in  gunshot.  They  killed  a  few 
and  found  the  flesh  palatable,  though  somewhat  objectionable  at  first, 
because  of  its  dark  color. 

On  the  1 6th  they  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  the  channel  which  Ilig- 
liuk  had  marked  on  the  chart  as  opening  to  the  west,  but  only  to  find  it 
closed  by  an  unbroken  sheet  of  ice.  Here  they  encountered  some  Esqui- 
maux, with  whom  they  landed  on  Iglooklik  Island.  The  encampment 
comprised  sixteen  tents,  in  two  divisions 
of  eleven  and  five,  half  a  mile  apart. 
These  natives  were  found  willing  to 
exchange  commodities,  but  altogether 
unaccustomed  to  receiving  anything 
without  giving  an  equivalent.  Unfor- 
tunately the  visitors,  in  their  desire  to 
win  the  confidence  of  these  simple 
people,  began  to  bestow  presents,  and 
naturally  they  soon  became  as  willing 
as  their  kindred  on  Winter  Island,  and  ILIGLIUK. 

others  of  the  same  race  elsewhere,  to  take  gifts.  After  a  night  spent 
in  the  tents,  to  which  they  had  been  driven  back  from  the  sea 
by  the  stress  of  weather,  the  visitors  gained  their  ships  and  stood 
to  the  west.  They,  however,  made  but  little  progress,  and  landed 
again  on  the  23d,  to  visit  the  village,  having  meanwhile  been 
visited  on  shipboard  by  the  Esquimaux.  This  time  they  had  an 
opportunity  of  inspecting  the  permanent  villages  at  the  distance  of  less 
than  a  mile  inland  from  the  tents.  These  were  of  the  same  shape 
as  the  snow  huts  on  Winter  Island,  but  of  different  material.  Here 
the  lower  part  of  the  circle  was  of  stone,  and  the  rest  of  bones  of 
the  whale  and  walrus,  gradually  inclining  inward  and  meeting  at  the  top, 
with  the  interstices  filled  with  turf,  a  layer  of  which  also  covered  the 


280  SUPPOSED  DISCOVERT  OF  POLAR  SEA. 

whole  of  the  outside.  This,  with  the  added  layer  of  snow  which  envel- 
oped the  whole  structure  in  winter,  made  these  huts  quite  warm.  The 
entrance  is  always  from  the  south,  and  consists  of  a  passage  ten  feet  long 
and  not  more  than  two  in  height  and  width,  through  which,  therefore, 
it  is  necessary  to  crawl  to  gain  the  hut.  These  passages  are  made  of  flat 
slabs  or  large  stones,  and  like  the  huts,  are  covered  with  turf  to  keep  out 
the  cold.  Lying  all  around  were  seen  great  quantities  of  bones  of  the 
whale,  walrus,  seal,  as  well  as  bears,  wolves  and  dogs.  The  visitors 
were  not  a  little  shocked  to  find  human  bones  among  the  others.  But  a 
greater  surprise  was  in  store  for  them ;  for  as  soon  as  they  were  seen  to 
put  a  skull  or  two  into  their  bags,  the  natives  volunteered  to  hunt  up 
some  more,  which  they  thrust  into  the  same  receptacles,  with  no  more 
compunction  than  if  they  had  been  the  skulls  of  wolves,  instead  of  per- 
haps their  own  grandfathers. 

On  the  24th  they  were  able  to  get  some  salmon  from  a  late  arrival  in 
the  village,  who  stated  that  more  could  be  obtained  at  a  distance  of  three 
days'  journey.  Capt.  Lyon,  accompanied  by  George  Dunn,  volunteered 
to  go  with  the  new-comer,  Toolemak,  in  search  of  the  coveted  salmon. 
Equipped  with  the  necessary  supplies  and  four  days'  provisions,  they  set 
out,  but  were  prevented  by  open  water  from  reaching  the  designated 
fishing-ground  in  their  sledges.  On  the  zyth,  while  on  this  excursion, 
Lyon  discovered  over  thirty  small  islands,  varying  in  size  from  a  hun- 
dred yards  to  a  mile  or  more  in  length,  which  he  named  Coxe's  Group. 
Meanwhile,  the  ships  waited  in  vain  for  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice,  and 
could  only  gain  at  intervals  of  several  days  a  half-mile  or  so,  as  an  occa- 
sional break  would  occur.  On  the  i4th  of  August  the  commander,  with 
one  officer  and  four  men,  and  ten  days'  provisions,  set  out  to  reach,  if  pos- 
sible, a  point  on  the  mainland  whence  he  could  overlook  the  strait.  On 
the  1 8th  they  reached  the  desired  point,  whence,  looking  to  the  west,  they 
could  see  no  land,  and  quite  naturally  inferred  that  they  had  discovered 
the  Polar  Sea,  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Gulf  of  Boothia.  The  nar- 
row channel  at  their  feet,  connecting  Fox  Channel  with  this  sea,  Parry 
named  the  Strait  of  the  Fury  and  Hecla,  which  it  still  retains.  It  varies 
in  width  from  eight  to  forty  miles,  and  is  studded  with  islands.  Its  west- 


HECLA  AND  FURT  STRAIT.  281 

ern  entrance  is  in  latitude  70°  and  longitude  85°.  Returning  on  the 
2oth,  the  ships  slowly  labored  to  the  west,  and  on  the  26th  were  at 
the  entrance  to  the  narrows,  when  their  way  was  again  effectually 
blocked  by  a  continuous  line  of  unbroken  ice  lying  right  across  the  strait. 
This  they  tried  to  bore  through  by  crowding  sail,  and  did  succeed  in 
penetrating  to  a  distance  of  300  yards,  but  were  compelled  to  desist. 
Casting  anchor  on  the  edge  of  the  floe,  they  reconnoitered  on  all  sides, 
and  on  the  29th  found  an  opening  which  enabled  them  to  push  a  little  to 
the  west,  to  the  vicinity  of  what  was  afterward  named  Amherst  Island. 
Three  exploring  parties,  under  Capt.  Lyon  <md  Lieuts.  Reid  and 
Palmer,  were  now  dispatched  in  the  hope  of  rinding  an  open  chan- 
nel. On  the  3d  of  September  the  commander  set  out  on  the  same  errand 
at  the  head  of  a  small  party,  and  satisfied  himself  that  there  was  no  nav- 
igable passage  for  ships  in  that  latitude.  The  investigations  of  the  oth- 
ers tended  to  confirm  this  opinion;  and  nothing  remained  but  to  await 
the  dislodgment  of  the  ice,  which  it  did  not  seem  probable  would  occur 
that  season.  Here  they  lay  until  the  i  yth,  without  any  opportunity  to 
advance,  and  finding  the  new  ice  rapidly  forming  around  the  ships,  they 
concluded  to  return  to  Iglooklik  Island  for  winter  quarters.  On  the  24th 
they  arrived  in  front  of  where  the  Esquimaux  encampment  had  been 
when  they  had  first  entered  those  waters,  and  soon  saw  their  old  friends 
scampering  from  the  huts  to  the  beach  to  greet  them. 

After  some  days  spent  in  exploring  the  neighboring  islands  in  boats, 
and  receiving  additional  confirmation  that  the  Strait  of  the  Fury  and 
Hecla  was  the  only  channel  to  the  west,  they  settled  down  to  the  work 
of  berthing  the  ships.  This  occupied  the  first  half  of  October,  and  the 
same  provision  was  made  for  the  security  of  the  ships  and  stores,  as  well 
as  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  men,  as  on  former  occasions.  The 
daily  visits  of  the  friendly  natives  were  a  never-ending  source  of  interest 
and  amusement  to  officers  and  men,  which  no  resources  of  their  own 
could  have  so  well  supplied.  This  enabled  them  to  dispense  with  the 
labor  of  theatrical  representations,  which  had  also  lost  their  novelty  and 
attractiveness.  They  secured  a  sheltered  space  for  exercise  and  recrea- 
tion Jjy  erecting  high  snow  walls,  which  not  only  added  sensibly  to  the 


383  GLUTTONT. 

warmth  of  the  ships,  but  was  moreover  a  protection  against  snow 
drifts. 

The  Esquimaux  suffered  from  scarcity  of  provisions  before  the  close 
of  the  winter,  though  with  anything  like  economy  they  could  easily  have 
lived  on  the  supplies  they  had  provided  in  advance,  as  it  seemed  to  their 
English  friends.  It  had  already  been  often  noticed  what  immense  quan- 
tities of  food  they  could  consume;  and  it  was  now  thought  worth  while 
to  make  a  careful  test  of  their  powers  in  that  direction.  For  this  pur- 
pose a  young  man,  scarcely  full  grown,  was  selected,  and  left  at  entire  lib- 
erty to  eat  all  he  wanted  of  staple  food  previously  weighed.  It  was 
found  that  in  twenty  hours  he  had  consumed  8*^  Ibs.  of  sea-horse  flesh 
— half  being  supplied  frozen  and  half  boiled — and  i  ^£  Ibs.  of  bread,  be- 
sides i]£  pints  of  gravy,  soup,  i  gallon  of  water,  I  tumbler  of  whisky 
and  water,  and  three  wine  glasses  of  raw  spirits.  There  was  no  evi- 
dence of  gorging  or  over-feeding  in  this  performance,  and  the  party  con- 
cerned did  not  manifest  any  sense  of  having  consumed  an  abnormal 
quantity  of  food.  The  English  had,  however,  noticed  a  tendency  to  de- 
liberate gorging  in  other  instances,  especially  when  plenty  succeeded 
privation.  Some  were  seen  in  the  huts  so  distended  by  the  quantity  of 
walrus-meat  they  had  eaten,  that  they  were  unable  to  move,  and  com- 
plained of  severe  pain,  which  the  observers  could  only  ascribe  to  that 
cause.  They  inferred  that  a  great  part  of  the  illness  from  which  the  in- 
habitants of  Iglooklik  suffered,  and  of  the  deaths  which  ensued,  was  due 
to  the  frequent  changes  from  excessive  to  insufficient  feeding.  On  Win- 
ter Island,  where  there  was  less  fluctuation  in  this  respect,  there  had  been 
but  little  sickness  and  no  deaths,  the  preceding  winter,  among  the  natives. 

For  the  first  time  in  Parry's  Arctic  experience,  he  frequently  saw 
"hard,  well-defined  clouds,  a  feature  he  had  hitherto  considered  as  almost 
unknown  in  the  winter  sky  of  the  Polar  regions."  And  in  the  spring, 
about  the  time  of  the  sun's  reappearance,  "the  glowing  richness  of  the 
tints  with  which  they  were  adorned,"  excited  his  admiration.  "An- 
other peculiarity  observed  in  this  winter,  was  the  rare  occurrence  of  the 
Aurora  Borealis,  and  the  extraordinary  poverty  of  its  display  whenever 
it  did  make  its  appearance.  It  was  almost  invariably  seen  to  the  squth- 


MELVILLE  PENINSULA  EXPLORED.  283 

ward ;  never  exhibited  any  of  those  rapid  and  complicated  movements  ob- 
served in  the  course  of  the  preceding  winter;  and  did  not  produce  any 
sensible  effect  on  the  gold  leaf  in  the  electrometer." 

On  the  2Oth  of  April  the  commander  announced  to  the  officers  and 
crew  of  both  ships  that  the  Hecla  was  to  return  to  England  on  the  open- 
ing of  navigation,  and  an  opportunity  was  given  to  such  of  her  officers 
and  men  as  chose  to  volunteer  to  remain  with  the  expedition.  On  the 
^th  of  May,  with  the  aid  of  their  dogs,  the  necessary  transfer  of  provi- 
sions and  stores  for  one  year  was  made  from  the  Hecla  to  the  Fury, 
without  any  exposure  or  labor  to  the  crews  outside  their  respective  ships. 
As  an  illustration  of  what  the  dogs  could  achieve,  Parry  states  "that 
nine  dogs  of  Captain  Lyon's  dragged  1,6 11  pounds  a  distance  of  i,75° 
yards  in  nine  minutes,  and  that  they  worked  in  a  similar  way  between 
the  ships  for  seven  or  eight  hours  a  day."  The  road  was,  however,  very 
good  at  this  time,  and  the  dogs  the  best  that  could  be  procured. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  having  previously  made  all  necessary  prepara- 
tions, Captain  Lyon,  accompanied  by  two  men  and  ten  dogs,  and  the 
necessary  provisions  for  a  trip  of  thirty  days,  set  out  for  an  exploration 
of  Akkoolee,  which  they  had  named  Melville  Peninsula.  A  slight  ex- 
ploration of  the  land  across  the  strait — which  they  named  Cockburn 
Island,  believing  it  to  be  such  from  information  received  of  the  Esqui- 
maux— had  been  made  before  going  into  winter  quarters.  Parry  accom- 
panied Lyon  for  a  few  days  with  a  small  party  in  the  hope  of  finding 
Toolemak's  salmon  lake  on  the  route.  They  found  the  lake,  but  after 
twenty-four  hours  fishing  through  a  hole  in  the  ice,  they  failed  to  catch 
any  salmon  or  fish  of  any  kind.  Lyon  had  started  south  on  the  9th, 
parting  company  with  Parry  and  his  companions,  who  occupied  them- 
selves in  shooting  ducks  and  making  observations  until  the  I4th,  when 
they  returned  to  the  ships,  with  thirty  or  forty  ducks  each.  On  the  2Oth 
some  Esquimaux  from  the  vicinity  of  Pond's  Inlet,  visited  Iglooklik 
and  the  ships.  They  had  seen  the  English  whalers  on  their  native 
coast  of  Toonoonck,  and  their  sledge  was  made  from  pieces  of 
some  vessel  wrecked  or  damaged  there.  They  informed  him  of  the 
wreck  on  that  coast,  of  two  ships,  which  he  afterward  ascertained 


ESQUIMAUX   FISHING. 


284 


APPEAL    TO    THE   GODDESS   OF  FISHING.  285 

were  the  Dexterity  of  Leith,  and  the  Aurora  of  Hull,  which  were 
abandoned  on  the  28th  of  August,  1821,  about  the  latitude  of  72°  on  the 
west  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay.  On  the  24th  Parry  set  out  again,  this  time 
in  company  with  Toleemak,  for  the  salmon  fishery,  and  reaching  it  as 
before  within  two  days,  by  sledge,  they  succeeded,  after  several  hours' 
fishing  on  the  25th  and  26th,  in  catching  one  small  fish — only  one,  not- 
withstanding the  earnest  supplications  of  Toolemak  and  his  wife  to  the 
goddess  of  fishing,  entreating  her  special  graciousness  to  the  good  Kab- 
loona  who  had  done  so  much  for  her  faithful  Esquimaux.  On  the  2yth, 
in  another  pool,  Toolemak  had  better  success,  and  before  leaving  for  the 
ships  on  the  28th,  he  directed  the  English  to  a  stream  at  some  distance, 
which  proved  to  be  the  true  salmon  fishery.  On  the  ist  of  July  they 
found  the  spot  and  saw  the  remains  of  two  salmon  that  had  been  thrown 
upon  the  ice,  and  returned  on  the  2d  to  the  ships,  intending  to  send  out  a 
fishing  party  for  whose  use  they  left  behind  their  fishing  equipment.  On 
this  trip,  when  they  had  gone  into  camp  at  ten  o'clock  the  first  night  out, 
Parry  found  that  his  team  of  ten  dogs  had  drawn  his  sledge,  loaded  with 
about  1,200  pounds,  a  distance  of  forty  statute  miles,  half  of  the  road 
being  very  indifferent.  Lyon  had  however,  returned  unsuccessful  from 
the  mainland.  . 

They  were  now  visited  by  a  party  of  twenty  Esquimaux  from 
the  shores  of  Baffin's  Bay,  and  the  same  region  as  their  former  visitors. 
These  also  were  acquainted  with  the  story  of  the  abandonment  of  the 
two  whalers.  Lieutenant  Hoppner  now  conceived  the  idea  of  crossing 
Cockburn  Island  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster,  with  one  of  the  twenty  as 
guide,  but  found  the  whole  party,  together  with  what  might  be  termed 
the  resident  Esquimaux,  had  abandoned  Iglooklik  on  the  4th.  It  now 
became  necessary  for  the  English  to  provide  walrus-meat  for  their  dogs, 
and  four  boats  were  so  engaged  for  three  weeks. 

On  the  1 6th  Hoppner  returned,  having  only  reached  the  south  coast 
of  Cockburn  Island,  beyond  which  his  guides  had  not  yet  determined  to 
proceed.  Two  of  the  Esquimaux  accompanied  Hoppner's  party  to  the 
ships,  loaded  with  various  useful  presents,  and  returned  the  next  day  to 
their  fishing  grounds.  On  the  19!!!  the  party  which  had  been  sent  to  the 


286  THE  HECLA  FREED. 

salmon  stream  returned,  with  ample  proof  that  Toolemak  had  not  been 
deceiving  them  with  an  Esquimaux  fish  story;  for  they  brought  back 
640  pounds  of  salmon,  besides  ninety-five  of  venison.  The  fish  varied  in 
length  from  twenty  to  twenty-six  inches,  and  one  of  the  largest,  when 
cleaned,  weighed  eight  and  a  half  pounds.  Toward  the  end  of  the  month 
symptoms  of  scurvy  appeared  in  four  or  five  of  the  crew  of  the  Fury,  but 
soon  yielded  to  medical  treatment. 

The  ist  of  August,  1823,  had  now  arrived,  and  yet  the  ships  were  as 
securely  held  by  the  ice  as  in  mid-winter.  On  the  4th  they  began  to  saw 
the  ice,  and  on  the  8th  the  ice  about  the  Fury  began  to  move  under  a 
northern  breeze,  when,  crowding  sail  on  the  ship,  she  was  got  entirely 
free;  but  the  Hecla  still  remained  beset.  On  the  next  day  she,  with  the 
floe  in  which  she  was  embedded,  was  carried  out  to  where  the  swell  of 
the  sea  soon  broke  away  the  ice  girdle,  and  she  was  also  free.  Mean- 
while, Parry,  with  the  concurrent  advice  of  his  officers,  had  determined 
not  to  risk  another  winter  in  these  regions,  with  the  small  hope  there 
was  of  penetrating  to  the  west  in  the  short  season  that  remained.  Both 
ships  returned  to  their  late  winter  quarters,  which  they  named  Turton 
Bay,  to  lighten  the  Fury  by  the  re-transfer  of  the  surplus  stores,  and  to 
make  their  arrangements  for  final  departure  from  the  scene  of  their  ten 
months'  detention.  On  the  I2th  they  sailed  away  to  the  southeast  under 
a  favorable  wind,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  I4th  were  off  Ooglit  Island, 
twelve  leagues  distant  from  Iglooklik.  Here  they  received  a  final  visit 
from  a  number  of  their  Esquimaux  friends,  whom  they  loaded  down 
with  gifts,  being  more  free  to  give  what  they  would  no  longer  need, 
as  the  ships  were  now  bound  for  home  and  plenty.  Full  rations  had 
been  restored  to  the  men,  and  entire  freedom  in  the  use  of  anti-scorbutics, 
the  recognized  tendency  to  scurvy  in  numbers  of  the  officers  and  men 
having  been  perhaps  the  most  weighty  influence  in  determining  the 
commander  to  forego  his  contemplated  purpose  of  spending  another 
season  in  the  attempt  to  get  through  the  Strait  of  the  Fury  and  the 
Hecla.  On  the  2yth  they  were  able  to  leave  Owlitteewik  Island,  having 
made  but  little  progress  for  the  preceding  fortnight.  -Now,  however,  be- 
ing less  beset  by  ice,  and  again  favored  by  a  breeze  from  the  north,  they 


WELCOME  AT  LERWICK.  287 

proceeded  more  rapidly  to  the  south,  and  on  the  3ist  they  reached  Winter 
Island.  The  distance  from  Ooglit  was  about  160  miles;  of  these  they 
had  really  sailed  only  forty,  having  drifted  the,  remainder  with  the  ice  by 
which  they  were  beset,  showing  an  average  drift  rate  of  fifteen  miles  a 
day,  and  five  of  sailing.  On  the  6th  of  September,  Fife,  Greenland  or 
ice  master  of  the  Hecla,  died  of  the  scurvy,  owing  partly  to  his  own  aver- 
sion to  the  use  of  unpalatable  remedies.  They  continued  to  be  embar- 
rassed by  the  ice — one  or  the  other  of  the  ships  being  in  immediate  dan- 
ger of  destruction,  or  at  least  serious  injury,  or  permanent  detention — 
until  the  iyth,  when  at  length  they  were  able  to  make  due  east  in  an 
open  sea  across  Fox  Channel  for  Hudson's  Strait. 

Passing  by  Trinity  Islands  on  the  i8th,  and  meeting  no  obstruction 
from  ice  or  other  cause  in  Hudson's  or  Davis'  Straits,  they  made  a  quick 
voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  reaching  the  Orkneys  in  three  weeks  from 
the  western  entrance  of  Hudson's  Strait,  on  Oct.  9,  after  an  absence 
of  twenty-seven  months.  On  the  loth  they  entered  the  harbor  of  Ler- 
wick  in  the  Shetland  Islands,  finding  it  impossible  to  proceed  south  be- 
cause of  adverse  winds,  which  also  kept  them  weather-bound  for  three 
days,  in  Bressa  Sound.  "  On  the  first  information  of  our  arrival,"  says 
Parry,  "  the  bells  of  Lerwick  were  set  ringing,  the  inhabitants  flocked 
from  the  country  to  express  their  joy  at  our  unexpected  return,  and  the 
town  was  at  night  illuminated,  as  if  each  individual  had  a  brother  or  a 
son  among  us."  On  the  I3th  they  proceeded  south,  arriving  off  Buchan 
NesS  on  the  next  day.  On  the  i6th  Parry  left  the  ships,  going  ashore  at 
Whitby,  whence  he  proceeded  by  land  to  London.  Arriving  on  the 
morning  of  the  1 8th,  he  went  at  once  to  the  Admiralty  to  give  an  account 
of  his  second  voyage  to  the  northwest.  The  ships  soon  arrived  safely  in 
the  Thames,  with  113  out  of  118  officers  and  men  in  good  health,  after 
spending  two  consecutive  winters  in  the  ice,  with  the  mean  temperature 
several  degrees  below  zero. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  FRANKLIN STATE  OF  ARCTIC  SCIENCE PREPA- 
RATIONS AND  PLAN DEATH  OF  FRANKLIN'S  WIFE FRANKLIN 

PLANTS   HIS  FLAG  ON  AN  ARCTIC    ISLAND FORT    FRANKLIN — - 

DESCEND  THE    MACKENZIE SEPARATION  OF  THE  TWO  PARTIES 

SERIOUS  ADVENTURE  WITH    ESQUIMAUX THE   BOATS    PLUN- 

PERED  —  FRANKLIN'S  RETURN  —  SUCCESS  OF  RICHARDSON  —  RE- 
TURN   TO   ENGLAND. 

Arrived  in  England,  Franklin,  Back,  and  Richardson  were  honored, 
congratulated,  and  feted,  in  a  manner  somewhat  resembling  the  triumphs 
given  to  the  ancient  Latin  heroes.  Upon  Franklin  was  also  bestowed 
the  rank  of  Captain.  It  would  naturally  be  supposed  that  these  bold 
men,  after  suffering  the  agonies  of  hunger  and  braving  the  dangers  of 
Boreas  for  three  long  years,  would  be  content  to  rest  on  their  laurels. 
Such,  however,  was  not  the  case.  The  explorations  of  the  early  part  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  particularly  the  events  just  narrated,  had  whetted 
the  appetites  of  scientific  men  for  more  accurate  knowledge  concerning 
the  mysterious  regions  of  the  earth's  axial  termini.  Investigation,  too, 
was  beginning  to  take  a  more  definite  form,  and  to  strike  at  a  more  defi- 
nite object.  The  existence  and  possible  commercial  value  of  a  North- 
west Passage  was  more  firmly  believed  in,  and  operations  in  the  line  of 
exploration  were  largely  conducted  with  reference  to  its  discovery,  or  to 
its  utility  in  that  important  event.  It  was  desired  to  know  more  fully 
the  character  of  the  land  bordering  on  the  Polar  Sea — of  the  resources 
which  it  possessed,  of  the  people  who  inhabited  it,  and  of  the  probable 
future  value  to  civilized  nations  of  this  hitherto  unexplored  wild.  More- 
over, Arctic  explorations  had  been  hitherto  fostered  almost  wholly  by 
Great  Britain,  and  that,  too,  it  may  be  said,  in  a  disinterested  way,  and 
not  wholly  nor  chiefly  for  her  own  political  or  mercantile  aggrandizement. 

288 


THE    WALNUT  SHELL.  289 

In  1825,  then,  the  admiralty  having  decided  to  investigate  more  fully 
the  western  portion  of  America's  northern  coast,  Capt.  John  Franklin 
was  chosen  as  the  leader  of  an  expedition  for  that  purpose.  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson again  offered  his  services  as  surgeon;  which  the  admiralty,  know- 
ing his  peculiar  power  and  value,  were  glad  to  accept.  Lieut.  Kendall,  a 
distinguished  draughtsman  and  surveyor,  was  engaged  to  assist  in  the 
technical  portion  of  the  work.  The  party  was  further  to  be  accom- 
panied by  the  accomplished  Lieut.  Bushnan;  but  that  young  man,  and 
promising  officer,  died  just  before  the  expedition  set  out.  Lieut.  Back 
returned  just  at  this  time  from  the  West  Indies,  and  being,  as  we  have 
seen,  somewhat  familiar  with  Arctic  navigation,  his  services  were  also 
sought  and  engaged. 

The  preparations  for  this  journey  were  made  with  particular  refer- 
ence to  avoiding  the  harrowing  scenes  of  the  previous  voyage,  and  as  we 
shall  gladly  record,  the  effort  was  entirely  successful  in  this  particular. 
The  boats  for  the  occasion  were  built  at  Woolwich,  under  Capt.  Frank- 
Inn's  direct  supervision,  and  were  well  calculated  to  withstand  the  shocks 
always  foreseen  in  the  Frigid  Zone.  One  of  them,  designated  the  "Walnut 
Shell,"  deserves  especial  mention.  It  was  only  eighty-five  pounds  in 
weight,  and  was  so  constructed  as  to  admit  of  being  taken  to  pieces,  and 
conveniently  carried  from  place  to  place.  When  thus  in  pieces,  it  could 
be  put  together  again  in  twenty  minutes.  It  was  fitted  with  a  rubber 
covering,  making  it  a  comfortable  rendezvous  from  storms  and  bad 
weather.  A  trial  of  these  vessels  was  made  at  Woolwich,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  several  officers  of  the  navy,  and  they  were  found  to  endure  well 
any  test  imposed. 

The  directions  given  by  Earl  Bathurst,  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty, 
for  the  guidance  of  the  party,  were  substantially  as  follows: 

The  whole  party  were  to  proceed  to  the  interior  of  America  in  the 
summer  of  1825,  and  were  to  establish  winter  quarters  somewhere  on 
MacKenzie's  River.  They  were  to  spend  the  winter  in  exploring  and 
surveying  such  of  the  more  important  lakes,  rivers,  and  mountains  in 
their  vicinity,  as  had  not  previously  been  examined,  and  were  to  hold 

themselves   in  readiness   to  start  early  in  the  spring  of  1826,  upon   their 
19 


200  AT  FORT  CHIPEWTAN 

trip  to  the  mouth  of  the  MacKenzie,  in  order  to  have  as  much  of  the  sum- 
mer as  possible  for  the  important  work  which  they  were  about  to  un- 
dertake. Arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  great  river,  Capt.  Franklin,  with 
Lieut.  Back  and  a  part  of  the  men,  was  to  explore  the  coast  westward, 
until  he  should  meet  a  party  who  were  to  arrive  by  way  of  Beh'ring's 
Strait,  and  were  to  co-operate  with  him  in  his  investigations.  In  the 
meantime,  Dr.  Richardson  and  Lieut.  Kendall,  with  the  residue  of  the 
men,  were  to  proceed  eastward  from  the  MacKenzie  to  the  Coppermine, 
which  will  be  remembered  as  the  point  of  departure  of  their  previous 
coast  survey.  This  would  make  an  unbroken  and  nearly  complete 
chain  of  sui'veys  between  east  and  west;  and  thus  the  preliminary  work 
of  proving  the  existence  of  a  Northwest  Passage  from  Baffin's  Bay  to 
Behring's  Strait,  would  be  in  substance  accomplished. 

The  death  of  Franklin's  wife  on  the  day  after  his  departure  has  al- 
ready been  referred  to;  she  had  been  very  low  for  some  time,  but  in 
spite  of  her  condition,  she,  with  remarkable  ambition,  urged  him  to  leave 
her,  and  to  sail  on  the  day  appointed  by  the  Admiralty.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  calamity,  Franklin,  when  the  news  was  brought  him,  concealed 
his  sorrow  as  far  as  possible,  so  that  he  might  not  be  the  means  of  de- 
pressing the  spirits  of  his  officers  and  men. 

The  expedition  having  been  duly  conveyed  to  Hudson's  Bay,  the 
boats  and  crew  all  the  way  by  water,  and  the  officers  by  land  through 
New  York  and  Canada,  the  whole  party  met  about  1,200  miles  in  the 
interior,  on  the  29th  of  June,  1825.  This  junction  took  place  in  the 
Methye  River  (latitude  56°  10'  north ;  longitude  108°  55'  west)  which 
is  almost  the  head  of  the  waters  that  flow  from  the  north  into  Hudson's 
Bay.  After  traversing  this  river  with  much  difficulty,  on  account  of  its 
rapidity  and  shoals,  the  expedition  pushed  on  to  Fort  Chipewyan,  where 
it  arrived  about  the  middle  of  July.  The  inhabitants  here  were  much 
surprised  to  see  the  adventurers  so  early  in  the  season;  being  only  two 
days  later  than  a  former  party,  who  had  spent  the  preceding  winter  in 
Canada.  At  Fort  Chipewyan,  the  party  received  material  addition  to 
their  store,  and  also  secured  the  service  of  several  Indians,  whose  faithful- 
ness' they  had  had  opportunity  to  prove  upon  the  previous  voyage. 


PLANTING    THE  FLAG  ON   THE  ARCTIC.  291 

As  there  was  still  considerable  time  before  winter  would  set  in,  Frank- 
lin proceeded  according  to  a  plan  which  he  had  cherished  ever  since  he 
set  out  from  England.  He  first  conducted  the  party  to  the  MacKenzie, 
and  descended  to  a  point  which  he  deemed  suitable  for  winter  quarters. 
He  then  instructed  Dr.  Richardson  to  proceed  across  the  country  and  dis- 
cover some  convenient  point  on  the  Coppermine  to  reach,  when  he 
should  traverse  that  river  in  returning  from  his  projected  trip  for  the  follow- 
ing summer.  He,  himself,  thought  it  prudent  for  him  to  descend  the 
MacKenzie  to  the  sea,  and  make  with  a  selected  crew  some  observations 
preliminary  to  leading  the  whole  party  there  in  the  following  summer. 
This  plan  was  executed,  and  the  sea  was  reached"  after  an  eventful  jour- 
ney. The  occasion  of  their  arrival  at  the  seaboard  is  thus  described  by 
Franklin: 

"Immediately  on  reaching  the  sea,  I  caused  to  be  hoisted  the  silk  flag 
which  my  deeply-lamented  wife  had  made,  and  presented  to  me  as  a 
parting  gift,  under  the  express  injunction  that  it  was  not  to  be  unfurled 
until  the  expedition  reached  the  sea.  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  my 
emotions  as  it  expanded  to  the  breeze;  however  natural  and  irresistible, 
I  felt  that  it  was  my  duty  to  suppress  them,  and  that  I  had  no  right  by 
an  indulgence  of  my  own  sorrows  to  cloud  the  animated  countenances  of 
my  companions.  Joining,  therefore,  with  the  best  grace  I  could  com- 
mand, in  the  general  excitement,  I  endeavored  to  return  with  correspond- 
ing cheerfulness,  their  warm  congratulations  on  having  thus  planted 
the  British  flag  on  this  remote  island  of  the  Pola  r  Sea." 

As  the  autumn  drew  on,  both  parties  returned  to  the  point  which  had 
been  previously  selected  as  quarters  for  the  winter.  Substantial  huts  of 
wood  and  stone  were  erected,  and  every  precaution  taken  to  make  the 
coining  winter  as  tolerable  as  could  possibly  be  done.  The  place  was 
named  Ft.  Franklin,  after  the  gallant  leader  of  the  expedition.  The 
whole  establishment  now  numbered  about  fifty  persons;  including 
five  officers,  nineteen  British  seamen,  mariners,  and  voyagers,  nine  Cana-  » 
dians,  two  Esquimaux,  three  women,  seven  children,  and  one  Indian 
lad ;  besides  several  infirm  Indians,  who  required  temporary  support. 
The  winter  was  spent  according  to  the  instructions  of  the  admiralty,  in 


292  SEPARATION. 

exploring  and  surveying  the  great  lakes  and  the  adjacent  mountains,  and 
in  making  topographical  sketches  of  the  country.  Of  this  work,  Dr. 
Richardson  chiefly  had  charge;  and  his  reports  have  become  classics  up- 
on the  geography  of  the  portions  examined. 

The  summer  of  1826  found  them  preparing  to  descend  the  MacKenzie. 
Before  starting,  the  boat  and  all  the  supplies  were  divided  between  the. 
two  parties  which  were  to  separate  at  the  mouth  of  this  river.  The 
men  were  chosen  out,  and  complete  preparations  made,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  delay  and  inconvenience  of  doing  it  in  a  less  comfortable  place. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  MacKenzie,  as  at  the  mouths  of  most  great 
rivers,  there  is  a  separation  of  the  main  stream  into  two  principal  parts, 
inclosing  land  to  a  considerable  extent  between  them.  Before  this  di- 
vision was  arrived  at  the  expedition  encamped  to  spend  the  night,  and  to 
afford  an  opportunity  for  the  two  parties  to  say  their  adieus,  as  they 
would  naturally  descend  by  the  two  different  mouths,  according  to  their 
instructions.  As  the  parties  entertained  for  each  other  sentiments  of 
true  friendship,  the  evening  before  their  separation  was  spent  in  the 
most  cordial  and  cheerful  manner.  They  felt  that  they  were  only  sep- 
arating to  be  employed  in  services  of  equal  interest;  and  they  naturally 
looked  forward  with  great  delight  to  their  next  meeting  when,  after  q 
successful  termination,  they  might  rehearse  the  incidents  of  their  respec- 
tive voyages. 

It  is  impossible,  for  obvious  reasons,  to  give  the  minute  details  of  their 
interesting  and  successful  enterprises.  The  judgment  of  British  ship- 
wrights seems  to  have  been  well  taken,  for  the  boats  used  on  these  oc- 
casions proved  exactly  adapted  to  the  service  required  of  them,  and 
carried  their  valiant  crews  through  all  the  storms  and  ice-bound  bays 
with  no  fatal  and  few  serious  disasters.  Franklin  explored  every  bay, 
cape,  mountain,  river  and  inlet,  as  far  as  he  went  to  the  westward,  but 
did  not  succeed  in  finding  a  single  good  harbor.  He  was  the  first  to 
discover  that  the  Rocky  Mountains  are  not  a  contiguous  chain  but  con- 
sist of  several  parallel  ranges  of  greater  or  less  extent. 

During  this  season  of  the  year  Esquimaux  were  very  frequent  and 
anxious  to  trade.  A  difficulty  occurred  with  them  on  this  trip  which 


ENCOUNTER  WITH  NATIVES, 


293 


threatened  to  be  disastrous.  A  kayak  being  overset  by  one  of  the  boat 
oars,  its  owner  was  plunged  into  the  water  with  his  head  in  the  mud, 
and  was  apparently  in  danger  of  being  drowned.  They  instantly  ex- 
tricated him  from  his  unpleasant  situation  and  took  him  into  the  boat 
until  the  water  could  be  thrown  out  of  the  kayak;  and  Augustus  (the 
Esquimaux  interpreter),  seeing  him  shiver  with  cold,  wrapped  him  up 
in  his  own  great  coat.  At  first  the  fellow  was  exceedingly  angry,  but 
soon  became  reconciled  to  his  situation;  and  looking  about,  discovered 
that  they  had  many  bales  of  goods  and  other  articles  in  the  boat  which 
had  been  carefully  covered  and  concealed  from  the  natives.  He  soon 


began  asking  for  every- 
thing' he  saw,  and  ex- 
pressed much  displeas- 
ure on  their  refusing 
to  comply  with  his 
demands.  He  went 
sulkily  away,  and 
doubtless  his  tale  ex- 
cited sympathy  in  the 
minds  of  the  whole 
tribe,  for  an  attempt 
was  soon  after  made 
to  dispossess  the  crew, 


of  their  whole  store. 
A  favorable  chance 
presenting  itself,  two  of 
the  most  powerful  men 
jumping  on  board  at 
the  same  time,  seized 
Franklin  by  the  wrists, 
and  forced  him  to  sit 
between  them;  and  as 
he  shook  them  loose 
two  or  three  times,  a 
third  Esquimaux  took 
his  station  in  front  of 


ESQUIMAUX  CHILD'S  BRESS. 

him  to  catch  his  hands  whenever  he  attempted  to  lift  his  gun,  or  the  broad 
dagger  which  hung  at  his  side.  The  whole  way  to  the  shore  they  kept 
repeating  the  word  "  Teyma,"  beating  gently  on  Franklin's  left  breast, 
and  pressing  his  hands  against  their  own.  As  the  beach  was  neared, 
two  oomiaks  full  of  women  arrived,  and  the  shouts  were  redoubled.  The 
other  boat-load  followed,  and  both  were  now  brought  to  the  shore.  The 
three  men  who  had  held  Franklin  now  leaped  ashore,  and  those  who 
had  remained  in  their  canoes,  taking  them  out  of  the  water,  carried  them 
a  little  distance,, 

A  numerous  party  now  drew  their  knives,  and  stripping  themselves 
to   the  waist  ran  to  the    Reliance  (the  largest   boat),  and  having  first 


294  MOUNTAIN  WARRIORS. 

hauled  her  as  far  as  they  could,  began  a  regular  pillage,  handing  the  arti- 
cles to  the  women,  who,  ranged  in  a  row  behind,  quickly  conveyed  them 
out  of  sight.  Lieut.  Back  ordered  the  muskets  to  be  drawn  on  them,  but 
not  to  be  fired  till  the  word  of  command.  This  display  frightened  the 
natives,  and  they  quickly  dispersed.  They  afterward  gave  as  a  reason 
for  their  actions,  that  they  had  never  seen  white  men  before,  and  seeing 
so  many  things  together,  they  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  steal 
them.  They  strenuously  promised  better  behavior,  and  wished  to  be 
restored  to  the  good  graces  of  the  commander.  A  plot  was  also  laid  at 
one  time  to  murder  the  whole  party,  including  Augustus,  the  interpreter, 
but  it  was  fortunately  frustrated  before  any  attempt  was  made  to  carry 
it  out. 

Franklin  had  intended  and  hoped  to  reach  Behring's  Strait,  or  at  least 
to  proceed  far  enough  west  to  meet  Capt.  Beechey  and  his  party,  who 
were  supposed  to  be  approaching  in  that  direction.  Having  seen  no 
traces  of  him,  however,  and  the  summer  being  well  gone,  he  decided  to 
return  to  the  MacKenzie.  Two  other  important  facts  also  justified  his 
discontinuing  the  voyage.  The  instructions  of  the  Admiralty  had  been 
to  return  at  a  certain  time,  which  time  was  now  nearly  at  hand.  An- 
other reason  was  found  in  the  following  generally  believed  report :  The 
mountains  along  the.  shore  were  inhabited  by  a  savage  and  cruel  tribe  of 
Indians,  of  whose  numbers  and  ferocity  the  Esquimaux  gave  thrilling 
accounts.  They  had  been  accustomed  to  trade  with  the  Esquimaux,  and, 
on  hearing  of  the  white  men's  approach,  and  seeing  the  things  which  the 
Esquimaux  had  obtained  in  barter,  they  feared  that  their  own  trade  with 
the  natives  would  he  ruined.  Accordingly,  a  plan  was  laid  to  come 
down  and  destroy  the  whole  party  of  whites,  and  take  possession  at  once 
of  their  stores  and  trade.  This  could  be  easily  accomplished,  as  they 
were  determined  and  powerful  warriors.  All  things  considered,  Frank- 
lin thought  it  prudent  to  reverse  his  course,  and  was  soon  on  his  way 
back  to  the  mouth  of  the  great  river.  In  spite  of  storms  and  difficulties, 
he  had  traced  the  coast  to  the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  meridian,  and 
seventieth  parallel.  Nearly  400  miles  of  coast  were  thus  more  accu- 
rately traced  and  located  than  it  had  hitherto  been  possible  to  clo. 


EULOGY  UPON  KENDALL.  29.1 

In  the  meantime,  Dr.  Richardson  had  been  equally  successful  in  his 
trip  toward  the  east.  He  explored  the  coast  all  the  way  from  the  Mac- 
Kenzie  to  the  Coppermine,  besides  examining  much  of  the  interior. 
His  untiring  perseverance,  uniform  justice,  and  great  nautical  wisdom, 
did  much  to  make  Franklin's  expeditions  successful.  His  foresight  was 
seen  in  all  he  undertook,  and  his  party  always  found  in  him  an  example 
of  diligence  and  of  manly  courtesy.  He  eulogized  Lieut.  Kendall  as  a 
very  accurate  and  companionable  gentleman,  and  as  an  instance  of  the 
former  quality,  cites  the  following  fact : 

Having  been  deprived  of  chronometers  by  the  breaking  of  the  two 
intended  for  the  eastern  detachment,  during  the  intense  cold  of  winter, 
the  only  resource  left  them  for  correcting  the  dead  reckonings  was  lunar 
observations,  whenever  circumstances  would  permit.  Yet  when  they 
approached  the  Coppermine  River,  Mr.  Kendall's  reckoning  of  the  posi- 
tion of  that  place  differed  from  the  previous  location  by  Franklin  only 
by  a  few  seconds — being  a  very  trifling  disparity  when  the  great  distance 
is  taken  into  consideration. 

Richardson  secured  1,500  specimens  of  floral  and  animal  life,  many 
of  which  had  never  been  classified  before.  His  report  of  his  voyage  was 
very  full  and  complete,  and  was  completely  satisfactory,  both  to  Frank- 
lin and  the  admiralty.  Having  joined  Franklin's  party  in  the  interior, 
the  winter  of  1826-7  was  sPent  in  Canada;  and  the  party  having  suc- 
ceeded beyond  the  general  expectation,  returned  to  England  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1827. 


THE  WALNUT  SHELL. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

PARRY'S   THIRD    EXPEDITION — SLOW    PROGRESS  —  NEW  ICE   ENCOUN- 
TERED  THE    FURY    SWEPT    AWAY WINTER  AT  PORT  BOWEN  — 

OBSERVATIONS HUNTING CAPTURE    OF    A    WHALE THE    FURY 

ALEAK INSPECTING    THE    SHIPS THE    FURY    ABANDONED RE- 
PORT    TO    THE    ADMIRALTY. 

The  third  expedition  to  the  Northwest,  in  charge  of  Commander 
Parry,  was  soon  equipped.  To  the  usual  stores  were  added  preserved 
carrots,  parsnips,  and  salmon,  together  with  pickled  onions,  beets,  cab- 
bage, and  split  peas;  also  a  small  quantity  of  beef  pemmican,  made  after 
Capt.  Franklin's  recipe,  by  cutting  the  meat  into  thin  slices,  which,  being 
dried  in  the  sun  and  pounded,  are  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  melted 
fat,  and  compressed  into  bags.  The  ships  were  the  same  as  before;  but 
the  Hecla  was  under  the  immediate  command  of  Parry,  and  the  Fury, 
under  Captain  Hoppner,  promoted  from  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  which  he 
held  in  the  previous  expedition;  Captain  Lyon  being  detailed,  as  we  will 
see  farther  on,  for  a  special  exploration  in  the  Griper.  The  William 
Harris,  under  Lieut.  Pritchard,  was  joined  to  the  Hecla  and  Fury  as  a 
transport  until  they  should  reach  the  ice.  They  left  Deptford  near  Lon- 
don, May  8,  1824,  and  on  the  loth  took  aboard  their  ammunition  and 
powder  at  Northfleet,  near  Gravesend,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Thames, 
whence  they  proceeded  on  their  voyage.  On  the  3d  of  July  they  dis- 
missed the  William  Harris,  after  having  transferred  her  surplus  stores  to 
the  Hecla  and  Fury  amid  the  ice-floes  of  Davis'  Strait,  out  of  which  she 
was  towed  by  the  ship's  boats  into  clear  water.  With  their  now  heavily- 
laden  vessels,  under  light  northerly  winds  they  made  but  little  progress 
for  several  days.  Once  or  twice  it  became  necessary  to  tow  the  ships 
with  their  boats  from  a  dangerous  proximity  to  icebergs,  of  which  they 
counted  at  one  time  no  less  than  one  hundred  and  three  from  the 

296 


SLOW  PROGRESS.  297 

deck.  The  crews  were  kept  constantly  at  work,  heaving,  warping,  saw- 
ing, and  using  every  device  known  to  their  craft  in  Arctic  navigation,  to 
keep  clear  of  the  icebergs,  and  make  a  little  headway. 

By  the  end  of  July  they  made  but  seventy  miles  to  the  west,  since 
parting  with  the  transport.  Five  weeks  longer  they  kept  up  the  daily  and 
hourly  struggle  with  the  ice,  some  of  which  was  over  twenty  feet  thick, 
above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  reaching  out  of  sight  from  the  mast- 
head. Through  such  barriers  and  obstacles  they  could  often  only  work 
by  towing  with  boats  and  warping  with  hawsers,  gaining  here  an  en- 
trance by  sawing  the  ice,  and  there  through  some  natural  opening  be- 
tween the  floes.  By  such  toil  and  labor  did  they  achieve  a  progress  of 
about  four  hundred  miles,  arriving  at  length  in  sight  of  the  headlands  of 
Lancaster  Sound,  in  open  water,  on  the  loth  of  September.  It  was  no- 
ticed that  for  some  time  the  ice  had  been  growing  less  in  thickness  as 
well  as  in  the  extent  of  the  floes,  so  that  on  the  whole  the  farther  they 
got  to  the  northwest,  the  easier  was  their  progress,  the  obstruction  being 
greatest  about  the  middle  of  the  ice-pack,  where  also  were  seen  the 
largest  number  of  icebergs. 

They  had  now  accomplished  only  the  preliminary  stage  of  the  voy- 
age, Lancaster  Sound  being  again  the  preconcerted  starting  point  of  the 
exploration.  It  was  hoped  that  the  ice-barrier  encountered  five  years 
before,  after  penetrating  Prince  Regent  Inlet,  would  prove  to  have  been 
peculiar  to  the  season;  and  that  a  passage  would  now  be  found  practica- 
ble by  that  route.  It, was  determined  that  the  trial  should  be  made,  and 
this  was  the  direct  object  of  the  present  expedition.  Unfortunately  it 
had  set  out  too  late,  or  had  been  too  long  detained  in  the  ice-pack  of 
Baffin's  Bay,  to  have  much  chance  of  success  the  first  season.  On  the 
1 3th,  in  sight  of  Cape  York,  the  eastern  headland  of  Prince  Regent  In- 
let, they  encountered  new  ice,  which  formed  very  rapidly,  and  grew  in 
thickness  from  day  to  day.  Towing  with  the  boats,  backing  and  veer- 
ing, and  hauling  the  ships,  they  kept  moving,"  but  often  as  much  back- 
ward as  forward,  until  the  night  of  the  lyth,  when  they  were  completely 
hemmed  in.  The  ice  extended  in  one  mass  to  the  shore,  thickened  by 
-the  natural  process  of  continual  freezing,  and  still  more  by  the  action  of 


298  THE  FUR T  S WEP T  AWAT. 

the  wind  and  swell,  which  rolled  it  upon  itself,  layer  upon  layer,  some- 
times to  a  hundred  feet  in  thickness,  forming  impenetrable  hummocks. 
They  now  began  to  saw  a  canal  so  as  to  get  the  ships  nearer  the  shore, 
in  the  event  of  being  unable  to  get  out  of  the  ice.  On  the  2ist,  through 
the  opening  thus  partially  effected,  the  ships  were  slowly  squeezed 
toward  the  land  by  the  pressure  of  the  ice  from  without,  but  on  the 
next  day  were  threatened  with  being  driven  with  the  surrounding  ice  out 
to  sea  by  a  change  of  wind.  Hawsers  were  how  run  out  to  the  land-ice, 
and  the  Hecla  was  thus  secured ;  but  the  Fury,  which  lay  farther  out, 
was  swept  off  with  the  ice.  The  hawsers  of  the  Hecl^i  were  soon  cut 
one  after  another  by  the  drifting  ice,  but  not  before  they  had  succeeded 
in  casting  anchor.  In  an  hour  the  moving  floe  was  parted  in  two  by  its 
own  action  against  the  chain  cable,  and  the  sawing  operations  of  the 
crew,  leaving  the  Hecla  afloat  in  clear  water,  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
shore.  Meanwhile  the  Fury  had  been  carried  by  the  wind  beyond  an 
iceberg  grounded  off  a  small  headland,  and  was  cleared  from  the  floe  by 
great  exertion  on  the  part  of  her  commander  and  crew,  some  five  or  six 
miles  away,  where  she  was  joined  by  the  Hecla  before  night.  On  the 
morning  of  the  2yth  they  found  themselves  at  length  free  of  ice,  and 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  western  shore  of  Prince  Regent  Inlet.  At 
noon  they  were  abreast  of  Jackson  Inlet,  and  before  night  had  made 
Port  Bowen,  which  Parry  had  now  determined  to  make  their  winter 
quarters  for  the  season. 

Here  the  usual  arrangements  were  made,  with  some  improvements 
for  heating  and  ventilating  the  ships,  and  with  masquerades,  instead  of 
theatrical  representations,  as  amusement  for  the  men.  The  schools 
were  resumed  with  very  satisfactory  results,  and  less  distraction,  as  there 
were  no  Esquimaux  in  the  vicinity.  Taught  by  experience,  they  had 
learned  to  place  the  stoves  in  the  very  bottom  of  the  hold,  which,  with 
their  other  appliances,  enabled  them  to  keep  the  temperature  of  the  ships 
at  an  average  of  56°;  so  that  with  improved  heating  apparatus  and  the 
prcsefved  and  pickled  vegetables  already,  referred  to,  the  general  health 
of  the  men  suffered  less  derangement  than  on  any  of  the  preceding 
expeditions. 


299 


300  OBSERVATIONS. 

An  incident  related  by  Parry  is  worth  reproducing  in  illustration 
of  the  distance  which  the  voice  can  reach  in  favorable  circumstances. 
Lieut.  Foster  having  occasion  to  send  a  man  from  the  observatory  to  the 
opposite  shore  of  the  harbor — a  measured  distance  of  6,696  feet,  or 
about  one  statute  mile  and  two-tenths — in  order  to  fix  a  mei'idian  mark, 
had  placed  a  second  person  half-way  between,  to  repeat  his  directions; 
but  he  found  on  trial  that  this  precaution  was  unnecessary,  as  he  could 
without  difficulty  keep  up  conversation  with  the  man  at  the  distant  sta- 
tion. "The  thermometer  was  at  this  time  18°  below  zero,  the  barometer 
30.14  inches,  and  the  weather  nearly  calm,  and  quite  clear  and  serene." 
It  was  noticed  that  the  meteors  or  falling  stars  were  much  more  frequent 
especially  in  December,  than  in  any  previous  winter  of  their  residence  in 
the  Arctics.  They  also  observed  a  particularly  brilliant  display  of 
Aurora  Borealis  on  the  23d  of  Feburary,  the  next  day  after  the  sun  had 
become  visible  at  the-  ships.  Owing  to  the  height  of  the  hills  surround- 
ing Fort  Bowen,  the  sun  had  been  hidden  from  the  harbor  for  121  days, 
though  to  those  who  took  the  trouble  to  ascend  the  hills  his  reappearance 
was  made  manifest  twenty  days  earlier.  "  It  is  very  long  after  the  sun's 
reappearance  in  these  regions,  however,  before  the  effect  of  his  rays,  as 
to  warmth,  became  perceptible,"  says  Parry ;  "  week  after  week  with 
scarcely  any  rise  in  the  thermometer  except  for  an  hour  or  two  during 
the  day;  and  it  is  at  this  period,  more  than  any  other,  perhaps,  that  the 

lengthened   duration  of  a   Polar   winter's  cold  is   most  wearisome,   and 

• 

creates  the  most  impatience."  It  was  not  till  the  middle  of  June  that 
there  was  any  considerable  amount  of  water  from  the  melting  snow  on 
shore.  .  • 

There  were  more  bears  killed  by  the  crews  this  winter  than  in  all  the 
previous  seasons  put  together.  From  October  to  June,  twelve  were  se- 
cured, and  many  more  seen  that  they  wei'e  unable  to  kill.  On  two  oc- 
casions they  witnessed  the  strength  of  parental  affection  in  these  animals, 
the  mothers  staying  to  protect  their  young  when  they  might  easily  have 
escaped.  One  or  two  foxes  were  killed,  and  four  were  caught  in  traps. 
"  The  color  of  one  of  these  animals,  which  lived  for  some  time  aboard 
the  Fury,  and  became  tolerably  tame,  was  nearly  pure  white,  till  the 


A  WHALE  CAPTURED.  301 

month  of  May,  when  he  shed  his  winter  coat,  and  became  of  a  dirty  choco- 
late color,  with  two  or  three  light  brown  spots."  Only  three  hares  were 
killed,  whose  fur  was  "  thick,  soft,  and  of  the  most  beautiful  whiteness 
imaginable."  One  ermine  and  a  few  moose,  complete  the  scanty  list  of 
quadrupeds  at  Port  Bowen.  No  deer  or  wolves  were  seen,  but  toward 
the  end  of  June  they  were*  able  to  kill  several  hundreds  of  dovekies, 
which  made  an  acceptable  change  in  their  diet.  On  one  of  the  nume- 
rous excursions  for  shooting  these,  John  Cotterell,  a  seaman  of  the  Fury, 
was  drowned  in  a  crack  of  the  ice,  on  the  6th  of  July. 

Six  days  later  the  ice  began  to  detach  itself,  and  they  succeeded  in 
killing  a  small  whale,  the  oil  of  which  they  needed  for  another  winter's 
consumption,  in  the  event  of  their  being  detained  so  long  in  the  Arctic 
regions.  They  began  the  usual  operations  of  sawing  a  canal  for  the 
ships,  the  work  proving  an  unusually  heavy  task,  as  the  ice  was  in 
some  places  over  ten,  and  generally  from  five  to  eight  feet  thick.  On  the 
1 9th  a  welcome  stop  was  put  to  this  arduous  labor,  by  the  separation  of 
the  ice  across  the  harbor,  not,  however,  without  a  final  tug  at  the  saws 
all  night  to  cut  away  the  intervening  ice.  In  two  hours  of  the  ensuing 
day  they  succeeded  in  towing  the  vessels  into  the  open  sea  of  Prince  Re- 
gent Inlet,  after  twenty-six  hours  of  continuous  work.  Parry  now  made 
for  the  western  shore,  intending  to  ?oast  North  Somerset  to  the  south, 
judging  from  his  former  inspection  of  that  region  that  it  would  be  found 
to  trend  to  the  west.  Trying  in  vain  to  penetrate  the  ice-barrier,  they 
moved  northward  until  the  24th,  when  a  channel  was  found  along  the 
western  shore  about  two  miles  wide,  the  ice  having  been  driven  to  the 
east  by  a  gale.  They  were  then  at  Leopold  Island,  in  Barrow's  Strait, 
whence  they  proceeded  again  to  the  south  along  the  channel  thus  opened 
along  the  coast  of  North  Somerset.  On  the  28th  their  further  progress 
was  blocked  by  the  ice  in  latitude  72^  51'  51",  within  about  twelve  miles 
of  the  most  southern  point  sighted  on  the  same  coast  in  1819.  On  the 
3Oth,  the  Hecla  was  worked  a  mile  and  a  half  further  to  the  south, 
a  narrow  channel  having  been  opened  in  the  ice  by  the  action 
of  the  wind.  The  next  day  the  Fury  was  driven  aground  by  the 
pressure  of  the  ice  under  the  influence  of  a  northern  gale,  but  was  got 


302  THE  FURT  ALEAK, 

off  at  high  water  by  the  exertions  of  both  crews,  without  serious  injury. 
On   the    ist   of  August    both    ships    were    hemmed    in   by  the   ice 
and  driven    with    it  to    the  shore,  on  which  they  grounded,  the  Fury 
being    severely   injured    by    an    extra   pressure    from   the    coming   floe 
after   she  had    already  struck,    which    forced    her    heavily  against    the 
land-ice    of    the   beach.       The  Hecla   was   gotten    off  at   high    water, 
the   ice    fortunately    receding,  and    anchored    to    a    floe    at    midnight. 
The    Fury    also    succeeded    in    getting   afloat,    but    was    found    to   be 
leaking    badly.       They    now    made    a    strenuous    effort    to    enter   a 
small   harbor,  which  they  opportunely  discovered  at  a   short   distance. 
The  way  being  fortunately  clear  of  ice  at   the  time,  they   succeeded   in 
guiding  both  vessels  into  the  only  two  coves  out  of  twenty,  examined  by 
Parry  in   a  small  boat,  of  sufficient  depth  to    float  them    at  low  water. 
These  coves  were  formed  by  grounded  masses  of  ice,  and  afforded  but  a 
precarious  refuge,  especially  as  it  was  now  evident  that  the  Fury  would 
require  to  be  thoroughly  repaired  before  she  could  be  considered    sea- 
worthy.    Four  pumps  were  at  this  time  constantly  engaged  in  the  effort 
'to  keep  her  from  sinking.     In  these  coves,  the  slightest  pressure   from 
the  outside  ice  would  be  sufficient  to  drive  the  ships  ashore,  as  they   had 
only  about  two  feet  of  water  under   their  keels.      Parry  and  Hoppner 
bestirred  themselves  to  seek  a  more  secure  anchorage,  and  had  the  good 
fortune  to  find,  within   a  mile,  another,  but  deeper  cove,  where  three 
masses  of  grounded  ice  were  so  situated  as  to  afford  an  ice-locked  harbor. 
But    notwithstanding    their   activity,    heightened    if    possible,    by  the 
supreme  urgency  of  the  situation,  before  the  ships  could  be   moved,  the 
ice,  like  a  watchful  enemy,  closed  in  and  again  held   them   fast  in  his 
tightening  grasp.     A  narrow  lane  of  water  affording  a  passage  for  boats 
between  ships,  some  of  the  Fury's  dry  provisions  were  taken  aboard  the 
Hecla,  and  a  quantity  of  heavy  ironwork  and  other  not  easily  injured 
stores  were  conveyed  ashore.  On  the  5th  of  August  they  succeeded,  dur- 
ing a  temporary  opening  of  the  ice,  in  running  the  ships  into  the  harbor 
already  chosen,  but   were   prevented   from    reaching  the  most  desirable 
anchorage,  and  in  twenty  minutes  after  their  arrival  the  ice  again    closed 
around  them. 


UNLOADING  THE  FURT.  303 

They  now  proceeded  witti  the  lightening  of  the  Fury,  and  in  three 
days  had  unloaded  her  so  much  that  two  pumps  were  sufficient  to  keep 
her  free;  spars,  boats  and  everything  from  off  her  upper  deck,  as  well  as 
the  provisions  and  stores,  having  been  removed.  These  were  tempora- 
rily housed  under  the  ship's  tents  on  shore;  and  at  the  same  time  prepa- 
rations were  diligently  made  to  heave  the  Fury  over  on  the  ice  for  re- 
pairs. Meanwhile,  on  the  8th,  a  southward  movement  of  the  ice  in 
Prince  Regent  Inlet,  drove  the  outer  ice  of  the  harbor  against  and  under 
the  ships,  threatening  to  keel  over  the  Fury  before  they  were  ready,  and 
driving  the  Hecla  on  a  projecting  tongue  of  ice  attached  to  one  of  the  icy 
piers  of  this  rather  dangerous  harbor.  On  the  loth,  by  cutting  four  or 
five  feet  of  ice  at  the  stern  of  the  Hecla,  she  slid  off  the  tongue,  and  was 
once  more  entirely  afloat.  A  little  more  room  being  soon  obtained  by 
one  of  the  ever-recurring  movements  of  the  ice,  they  cleared  the  basin  of 
the  scattered  masses  of  broken  ice,  piece  by  piece,  leaving  the  ships  a  few 
feet  to  spare  in  length,  but  none  in  width.  The  Fury,  on  the  inside  of 
this  harbor,  had  eighteen  feet  of  water,  and  the  Hecla,  on  the  outside, 
twenty-four.  The  clearness  of  the  water  now  enabled  them  to  form  an 
opinion  of  the  injuries  received  by  both  vessels  in  their  long-contmued 
battle  with  the  ice.  They  discovered  that  in  the  Fury  "  both  the  stern- 
post  and  forefoot  were  broken  and  turned  up  on  one  side  with  the  pres- 
sure. We  also  could  perceive,  as  far  as  we  were  able  to  see  along  the 
main  keel,  that  it  was  much  torn,  and  we  had  therefore  much  reason  to 
conclude  that  the  danger  would  altogether  prove  serious.  We  also  dis- 
covered that  several  feet  of  the  Hecla's  false  keel  were  torn  away 
abreast  of  the  forechains,  in  consequence  of  her  grounding  forward  so 
frequently." 

The  Fury  was  completely  cleared  of  everything  on  the  i6th, 
and  two  unsuccessful  attempts  had  been  made  to  lay  her  down,  when 
on  the  1 9th  the  ice  once  more  peremptorily  decided  against  further 
action  in  that  direction.  A  huge  outside  floe,  driven  southward  by  a 
gale,  so  pressed  upon  the  harbor  ice  as  to  dislodge  the  ice  piers  and  de- 
stroy the  basin  prepared  with  so  much  labor.  Both  ships  were  now  in 
danger  of  being  again  forced  aground  by  the  next  pressure  from  the  un- 


304  THE  FURT  ABANDONED. 

certain  ice,  and  it  was  determined  to  save  Hie  Hecla  from  that  disaster, 
by  preparing  her  for  sea.  And,  if  time  would  permit,  the  Fury,  too, 
should  be  towed  out  and  staunched  with  sails  until  a  more  secure  harbor 
could  be  reached.  By  the  2ist  they  had  placed  aboard  the  Fury  about 
fifty  tons'  weight  of  coal  and  provisions,  and  her  anchors,  cables,  rudders 
and  spars — all  that  was  deemed  absolutely  necessary  for  her  equipment, 
should  they  succeed  in  getting  her  out  to  sea'.  But  the  ice  again  came  on 
and  drove  her  ashore,  the  Hecla  having  barely  escaped  the  same  disaster 
by  having  gone  out  to  sea  one  hour  and  five  minutes  before.  At  eight 
o'clock  the  last  man  had  left  the  Fury,  and  at  eleven  half  a  mile  of  packed 
ice  lay  between  her  and  her  consort.  In  the  morning  the  distance  had 
increased  to  four  or  five  miles,  the  Hecla  having  been  borne  south  by 
the  current,  and  during  the  ensuing  night  four  or  five  leagues  farther. 
The  wind  now  changing,  they  were  enabled  to  retrace  their  course,  but 
could  get  no  nearer  to  the  Fury  than  twelve  miles.  This  was  at  noon  of 
the  24th,  in  latitude  72°  34'  57",  and  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  they 
were  at  least  fifteen  miles  away,  the  ice  having  pressed  between  them 
and  the  shore  where  she  lay. 

Still  hovering  in  her  vicinity  and  watching  every  opportunity  to 
reach  her,  Parry  and  Hoppner  were  finally  enabled  to  make  an  ex-, 
amination  into  her  condition.  Getting  within  seven  or  eight  miles  of  her, 
and  a  narrow  channel  opening  the  way  for  the  boats,  Parry  and  Hopp- 
ner got  aboard  the  Fury  for  the  last  time,  at  half-past  nine.  It  was 
reluctantly  decided  that  her  condition  was  hopeless  in  view  of  all  the  cir- 
cumstances, and  that  it  would  only  endanger  the  Hecla  and  the  lives  of 
both  crews  to  waste  any  more  time  in  attempting  to  rescue  and  repair  her, 
with  no  secure  harbor  in  view,  even  should  they  succeed  in  floating  her 
off.  She  was  therefore  abandoned  where  she  lay,  in  latitude  72°  42'  30", 
and  longitude  91°  50'  5",  about  half  a  degree  south  of  their  late  winter 
quarters,  but  on  the  opposite  side  of  Prince  Regent  Inlet,  and  just  above 
where  the  coast  of  North  Somerset  wears  rapidly  to  the  west. 

They  now  proceeded  to  make  both  crews  as  comfortable  as  possible 
on  the  Hecla,  and  sailed  across  the  inlet  to  Neill's  Harbor,  a  little  south 
of  Port  Bowen,  to  refit  and  get  ready  for  the  return  voyage  to  England, 


PARRr  ARRIVES  AT  THE  ADMIRALTY.  305 

all  further  attempts  to  continue  their  explorations  being  necessarily 
abandoned.  John  Page,  a  seaman  of  the  Fury,  who  had  suffered  for 
several  months  from  a  scrofulous  disorder,  now  died,  and  was  buried  with 
the  usual  marks  of  respect.  By  the  3ist  all  necessary  arrangements, 
including  a  fresh  supply  of  water,  having  been  perfected,  they  sailed  to 
the  northward,  gaining  the  open  sea  of  Barrow's  Strait  on  Sept.  ist. 
They  found  Baffin's  Bay  very  different  from  what  it  was  the  preceding 
year,  within  four  days  of  the  same  date.  Where  on  the  9th  of  .Septem- 
ber, 1824,  they- experienced  the  utmost  difficulty  in  escaping  from  the 
ice,  on  the  5th  of  September,  1825,  and  within  thirty  miles  of  the  same 
spot,  there  was  no  floe  whatever,  and  only  one  or  two  solitary  icebergs. 
On  the  7th,  in  latitude  72°  30',  and  longitude  60°  5',  they  first  encoun- 
tered ice,  with  thirty-nine  icebergs  in  sight,  but  also  with  plenty  of  sea 
room  to  the  east.  Next  day,  in  latitude  71°  55',  they  fell  in  with  three 
whalers  going  north,  to  whom  they  were  able  to  give  no  encouragement, 
as  they  had  not  seen  a  single  whale  since  they  left  Neill's  Harbor.  Their 
advance  to  the  east  was  now  much  more  retarded  by  contrary  winds, 
and  they  did  not  pass  the  Arctic  Circle  until  noon  of  the  i7th,  but  for  the 
ensuing  week  the  winds  were  favorable.  On  the  25th  and  26th  they 
encountered  a  very  severe  gale,  after  leaving  Davis'  Strait,  and  while 
southeast  of  Cape  Farewell.  After  the  gale  they  had  a  week  of  remark- 
ably fine  weather,  and  though  somewhat  hindered  afterward  by  strong 
southerly  winds,  they  reached  Mull  Head,  the  northwestern  point  of  the 
Orkney  Islands,  on  the  loth  of  October.  Two  days  later,  encountering 
a  southerly  wind  off  Peterhead,  Commander  Parry  went  ashore  at  that 
point  and  set  off  for  London,  arriving  at  the  admiralty  on  the  i6th.  The 
Hecla  arrived  at  Sheerness  on  the  Thames  on  the  2oth,  where  Capt. 
Hoppner,  his  officers  and  men,  being  put  on  trial  for  the  loss  of  the  Fury, 
were  honorably  acquitted,  the  abandonment  of  the  ship  being  amply 
justified. 


20 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

ARCTIC    VOYAGE    OF    SABINE    AND    CLAVERING HAMMERFEST COD- 
FISHING DISCOVERY  OF  PENDULUM  ISLANDS PROCEED    TO   CAPE 

PARRY LIFE    OF    SABINE. 

The  main  purpose  of  this  voyage  was  to  further  the  "  pendulum  ex- 
periments "  of  Captain,  afterward  Major  General,  Sir  Edward  Sabine, 
for  the  completion  of  which  he  obtained  the  use  of  the  ship  Griper  of 
the  royal  navy,  which  had  been  one  of  Parry's  vessels  in  his  first  voy- 
age in  search  of  the  Northwest  Passage.  She  was  now  placed  in  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Clavering,  who  in  the  intervals  occupied  by  Sabine  on 
land,  made  some  few  discoveries  in  Arctic  seas.  They  sailed  from  the 
Nore  on  the  nth  of  May,  1823,  and  arrived  at  Hammerfest  in  ^ual 
Oe,  or  Whale  Island,  on  the  northwest  coast  of  Norway,  70°  40'  7"  by 
23°  35'  43",  on  the  4th  of  June.  Here  Sabine  prosecuted  his  scien- 
tific experiments  until  the  23d,  and  leaving  him  thus  engaged,  the 
reader  is  invited  to  take  a  survey  of  Hammerfest,  which  is  a  town  of 
much  interest  in  connection  with  Arctic  explorations. 

Hammerfest  is  situated  on  the  west  coast  of  the  island,  and  is  the  most 
northern  town  of  its  size  in  the  world.  Sixty  years  ago  it  had  only  forty- 
four  inhabitants,  but  has  now  a  settled  population  of  about  1600.  It  is 
the  capital  of  the  province  of  Finmark,  which  has  an  area  of  over  18,000 
square  miles,  and  a  population  of  only  24,000.  The  town  comprises  one 
long,  winding  street  along  the  shore,  the  houses  of  which,  made  of 
wood  and  painted,  present  the  striking  peculiarity  of  having  grass  plots 
on  the  roofs.  The  warehouses  are  built  on  piles  driven  into  the  water, 
giving  ready  access  to  ships  and  boats,  and,  with  the  adjoining  sheds,  are 
usually  well  filled  with  skins  of  the  reindeer,  bear  and  wolf,  reindeer 
horns,  walrus  tusks,  dried  fish  and  train  oil.  These  the  merchants  obtain 

from  the  Finns — more  properly  Lapps — from  whom  the  province  de- 

306 


HAMMERFEST—  NORTH  CAPE.  307 

rives  its  name,  in  exchange  for  brandy,  tobacco — of  both  of  which  the 
poor  natives  are  very  fond  —  hai'dware,  and  cloth.  Some  of  the  resident 
merchants  fit  out  annual  expeditions  for  walrus  and  seal-hunting  at  Cherry 
Island  and  the  Spitzbergen  group.  The  seal  and  walrus  hunters  of  other 
nations  also  make  it  a  place  of  outfit  and  point  of  departure  for  the  north- 
ern seas.  A  large  trade  with  Archangel,  on  the  White  Sea,  in  Russia, 
is  also  carried  on.  The  vessels  used  in  this  traffic  are  peculiar,  being 
supplied  with  three  almost  perpendicular  masts,  each  furnished  with  a 
large  three-cornered  sail.  By  these  are  exchanged  the  train  oil  and  fish 
of  the  Northern  Norwegians  for  the  rye,  meal  and  candles  of  the  Rus- 
sians. A  British  ship  occasionally  puts  into  Hammerfest  with  a  cargo 
of  coal,  and  takes  back  one  of  codfish,  which  constitutes  the  most  im- 
portant single  article  in  the  commerce  of  the  town. 

Though  so  far  north,  the  temperature  is  generally  mild  enough  to 
permit  the  hardy  fishermen  to  prosecute  their  labors  through  the  fishing 
season.  The  number  of  cod  annually  taken  is  between  twenty  and  fifty 
millions,  a  large  part  of  which  are  taken  by  the  Russians  as  caught.  The 
remainder  is  prepared  for  the  markets  of  the  world  and  sold  as  dried 
codfish,  Spain  being  the  largest  buyer,  her  annual  purchases  amounting 
to  over  forty  million  pounds.  The  winter  is  given  to  merry-making,  and 
scarcely  a  night  passes  without  a  frolic  of  some  sort.  The  day  when 
the  sun  reappears,  is  one  of  general  rejoicing,  and  every  body 'rushes  into 
the  street  to  congratulate  his  neighbor.  The  summer  is  short,  and 
sometimes  quite  oppressive  for  a  little  while;  but  the  cool  air  from  the 
snow-covered  hillsides  and  ravines,  in  some  of  which  it  always  lies,  and 
from  the  sea,  soon  reduces  the  temperature.  The  chief  subject  of  regret 
is  not  that  it  is  sometimes  hot,  but  that  it  is  cold  so  long.  North  Cape, 
the  extreme  northern  point  of  Europe,  is  only  sixty  miles  from  Ham- 
merfest, and  is  generally  an  object  of  great  interest  to  sojourners  or  trav- 
elers in  those  regions.  This  rocky  promontory,  a  thousand  feet  in  height, 
abuts  upon  the  sea,  and  is  difficult  of  ascent  even  at  its  most  accessible 
points  in  the  rear.  It  is,  however,  frequently  visited,  and  no  doubt  am- 
ply repays  the  labor  to  persons  who  like  to  dream  of  the  sublime,  away 
from  the  busy  haunts  of  men. 


808  DISCOVERIES   OF  CLAVERING. 

But  leaving  Hammerfest  and  North  Cape,  it  is  our  duty  to  return  to 
Captains  Sabine  and  Clavering,  and  their  "good  ship,"  the  Griper,  which 
set  sail  for  Spitzbergen  seas  on  the  23d  of  June.  They  encountered  ice 
in  latitude  75°  5',  off  Cherry  Island,  on  the  2yth,  and  three  days  later 
reached  the  vicinity  of  Hakluyt  Headland,  the  northwestern  point  of  the 
Spitzbergen  Archipelago.  On  one  of  the  smaller  group  of  islands,  known 
as  the  Seven  Sisters,  they  landed  Capt.  Sabine  with  his  necessary  equip- 
ments, and  immediate  attendants,  while  Capt.  Clavering  continued  his 
course  to  the  north.  But  having  made  about  thirty  miles  in  that  direc- 
tion, he  was  driven  back  by  the  impassable  ice-pack.  Sabine  was  again 
ready  on  the  24th  of  July,  when  they  set  sail  for  the  east  coast  of  Green- 
land, which  they  struck  at  a  headland  named  by  them  Cape  Borlase 
Warren.  Here  they  discovered  two  islands  which  received  the  name  of 
Pendulum  Islands,  because  Sabine  chose  them  as  the  field  of  his  experi- 
ments. Clavering  proceeding  northward,  discovered  and  named  Shan- 
non Island  in  latitude  75°  12';  and  descried  land  as  high  as  latitude 
76°.  They  discovered  Ardencaple  Inlet,  the  coast-line  of  which  they  es- 
timated at  about  fifty  miles.  The  latter  half  of  August  was  spent  ashore 
by  Ciavering  and  nineteen  others  of  his  ship's  company. 

The  temperature  was  much  milder  than  anticipated,  falling  at  no  time 
lower  than  23°  above  zero.  At  a  short  distance  inland,  a  circle  of  moun- 
tains almost  surrounds  this  bay,  rising  at  some  points  to  a  height  of  four 
to  five  thousand  feet.  They  met  a  small  tribe  of  twelve  Esquimaux, 
with  whom,  however,  they  had  but  little  intercourse.  On  the  29th  of 
August  they  returned  to  the  ship,  and  on  the  last  day  of  the  month,  hav- 
ing taken  aboard  Capt.  Sabine  and  his  party,  they  proceeded  southward 
along  the  coast  to  Cape  Parry,  in  latitude  72°  22',  longitude  22°  2'. 
The  cliffs  were  here  observed  to  be  also  several  thousand  feet  high. 
Finding  the  coast-ice  likely  to  prove  troublesome,  if  not  dangerous,  they 
determined  to  return  homeward.  Leaving  the  coast  on  the  i3th  of  Sep- 
tember they  were  driven  southward  in  a  gale,  but  succeeded  in  crossing 
the  Atlantic  in  safety,  reaching  Christiansend  on  the  first  of  October. 
Here  the  ship  struck  a  rock,  but  was  got  off  at  high  water  without  seri- 
ous injury.  Coasting  to  the  northeast  they  arrived  at  Drontheim  or 


DRONTHEIM  309 

Trondhjem,  on    the    6th,   when    Sabine    resumed    his    pendulum    ex- 
periments. 

Drontheim  or  Trondhjem  (Tronyem),  the  capital  of  the  old  monarchy 
and  center  of  Norwegian  literature,  is  situated  in  63°  25'  by  10°  23'  east. 
The  city  looks  as  if  it  were  only  of  yesterday,  as  its  wooden  houses  have 
been  frequently  destroyed  by  fire  and  as  often  rebuilt  of  the  same 
material.  It  presents  a  pleasing  appearance,  the  houses  being  painted  in 
a  variety  of  colors;  and  is  a  thriving  place,  with  about  23,000  inhabi- 
tants. Its  prosperity  is  mainly  due  to  the  fisheries  and  the  iron  and 
copper  mines  in  its  vicinity.  The  lofty  chimneys  of  its  furnaces  and 
foundries  afford  a  cheering  evidence  that  modern  industry  with  its  inces- 
sant activities,  has  found  its  way  to  the  ancient  seat  of  the  skalds.  The 
bay,  on  the  peninsula  of  which  it  stands,  is  remarkable  for  its  beauty, 
and  is  dotted  with  numerous  shipping.  On  its  banks  are  the  villas  of  its 
wealthy  merchants,  and  on  a  small  island  is  the  fortress  or  stronghold  of 
Munkholm,  facing  the  city,  which  is  further  graced  by  a  magnificent 
cathedral  of  the  eleventh  centuiy,  the  most  venerable  ecclesiastical  struc- 
ture in  the  kingdom.  Ship-building  is  carried  on  to  a  considerable  extent, 
and  the  vessels  there  constructed  rank  high  for  sailing  qualities.  The 
inner  harbor  is  rather  shallow,  not  admitting  vessels  which  draw  more 
than  ten  or  twelve  feet  of  water. 

Edward  Sabine,  the  naturalist  of  several  Arctic  expeditions,  is  worthy 
of  moi'e  than  passing  mention.  He  was  born  in  1788,  and  entered  the 
military  service  at  an  early  age.  Having  attained  the  rank  of  lieutenant 
he  was  commissioned  to  accompany  Sir  John  Ross  and  Sir  Edward  Parry 
on  their  first  voyages  in  search  of  the  Northwest  Passage,  in  1819—20, 
respectively.  On  his  return  from  the  latter  he  communicated  the 
results  of  his  magnetic  observations  to  the  Royal  Society,  and  became  so 
much  interested  in  that  and  kindred  topics  of  scientific  investigation  that 
he  devoted  his  whole  time  to  the  prosecution  of  researches  and  experi- 
ments. In  1821  he  began  a  series  of  voyages  to  several  points  between 
the  Equator  and  the  Pole,  of  which  the  one  now  under  consideration 
formed  the  last,  making  at  each  place  visited  a  careful  set  of  observations 
on  the  length  of  the  seconds'  pendulum — hence  called  pendulum  experi- 


310  SABINE'S  EXPERIMENTS. 

ments — on  the  intensity  of  terrestrial  magnetism,  the  dip  of  the  mag- 
netic needle,  and  related  subjects.  The  results  were  published  by  him  in 
1825,  in  a  work  entitled  "  The  Pendulum  and  Other  Experiments,"  and 
were  regarded  as  highly  valuable.  With  one  brief  episode  belonging  to 
his  military  profession,  during  which  he  served  in  Ireland,  his  history  is 
that  of  a  student  and  observer  of  the  laws  and  phenomena  of  nature, 
especially  in  the  department  of  terrestrial  magnetism.  His  labors  have 
led  to  the  discovery  of  the  laws  of  magnetic  storms,  the  connection  be- 
tween sun-spots  and  certain  magnetic  phenomena,  and  the  magnetic 
influence  of  the  sun  and  moon  on  the  earth.  To  his  efforts  have  been 
largely  due  the  establishment  of  magnetic  observatories  all  over  the 
world,  and  the  collation  of  the  most  important  facts  thus  obtained.  He 
filled  the  several  offices  of  secretary,  vice-president  and  president  of  the 
Royal  Society,  and  was  successively  promoted  in  his  profession  to  captain, 
major,  and  finally,  in  1856,  to  major-general.  In  1869  he  was  created 
Knight  Commander  of  the  Bath,  whence  his  title,  Sir  Edward  Sabine. 

Sabine  having  prosecuted  his  scientific  observations  for  several  weeks 
at  Drontheim,  the  Griper  set  sail  for  England  and  arrived  safely  at 
Deptford,  near  London,  on  the  I9th  of  December,  1823. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

LYON'S  ARCTIC  VOYAGE  —  ROWE'S  WELCOME  —  LYON'S  PRAYER  FOR 
HELP SAFETY RETURN  TO  ENGLAND. 

Notwithstanding  the  poor  sailing  qualities  of  the  Griper,  she  was 
soon  again  put  to  use  for  purposes  of  exploration  in  the  Northwest,  be- 
ing placed  in  charge  of  Capt.  George  Francis  Lyon,  who  had  accom- 
pariied  Parry  in  one  of  his  Northwest  voyages.  With  forty-one  officers 
and  men,  Lyon  set  sail  June  20,  1824,  with  instructions  to  complete  the 
survey  or  exploration  of  Melville  Peninsula.  He  was  to  make  for 
Wager  River  ofFRowe's  Welcome,  whence  he  was  to  cross  the  peninsula 
and  attempt  to  reach  Franklin's  Point  Turnagain.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  a  small  vessel  named  the  Snap,  with  extra  stores,  which 
were  transferred"  to  the  Griper  as  soon  as  they  met  the  ice  in  Hudson's 
Strait,  and  the  tender  sent  back.  This  was  successfully  done,  but  the 
Griper  having  taken  aboard  the  extra  load,  made  slow  progress,  which, 
added  to  the  lateness  of  their  departure  from  England,  rendered  failure 
almost  inevitable  from  the  outset.  It  was  the  end  of  August  before  they 
were  able  to  reach  Rowe's  Welcome,  which  they  entered  from  Hudson's 
Bay.  Here  they  encountered  storms  and  fogs,  while  no  trust  could  be 
placed  in  the  compass,  and  the  destruction  of  the  ship  became  imminent. 
They  were  obliged  to  bring  her  to  "with  three  bowers  and  a  stream 
anchor  in  succession,"  while  she  was  all  the  time  pitching  her  bows  un- 
der. The  danger  grew  so  menacing,  that  they  loaded  the  boats  with 
.  provisions  and  supplies,  fearing  they  would  have  to  take  to  them  any 
moment.  Two  of  them  were  almost  sure  to  be  destroyed  as  soon  as  low- 
ered, and  lots  were  cast,  mainly  to  insure  the  safety  of  such  as  should 
have  the  good  fortune  to  draw  the  most  reliable  of  the  boats,  the  unsuc- 
cessful ones  accepting  their  fate  with  the  magnanimity  of  true  heroes. 
Heavy  seas  swept  the  decks,  and  they  were  approaching  a  low  beach, 

311 


312  L TON'S  PRATER. 

"where  no  human  power,"  says  Lyon,  "could  save  us  if  driven  upon  it," 
when  the  fog  opportunely  lifting,  showed  them  the  danger.  But  they 
were  soon  face  to  face  with  another.  A  great  wave  lifted  the  vessel 
bodily,  taking  her  apparentl}'  along  the  whole  length  of  her  keel,  and 
her  breaking-up  was  momentarily  looked  for,  but  their  alarm  fortunately 
proved  groundless. 

"And  now  that  everything  in  our  power  had  been  done,"  says 
Lyon,  "I  called  all  hands  aft,  and  to  a  merciful  God  offered  prayers  for 
our  preservation.  I  thanked  every  one  for  their  excellent  conduct,  and 
cautioned  them,  as  we  should  in  all  probability  soon  appear  before  our 
Maker,  to  enter  His  presence  as  men,  resigned  to  their  fate.  We  then 
all  sat  down  in  groups,  and  sheltered  frojn  the  wash  of  the  sea  by  what- 
ever we  could  find,  many  of  us  endeavored  to  obtain  a  little  sleep." 
They  had  been  three  nights  without  any,  and  exhausted  nature  will 
snatch  repose,  even  when  in  the  very  jaws  of  death.  "Never  perhaps," 
continues  Lyon,  "was  witnessed  a  finer  scene  than  on  the  deck  of  my  lit- 
tle ship,  when  all  hope  of  life  had  left  us.  Noble  as  the  character  of  the 
British  sailor  is  always  allowed  to  be  in  cases  of  danger,  yet  I  did  not  be- 
lieve it  to  be  possible,  that  among  forty-one  persons  not  one  repining 
word  should  have  been  uttered.  The  officers  sat  about  wherever  they 
could  find  shelter  from  the  sea,  and  the  men  lay  down  conversing  with 
each  other  with  the  most  perfect  calmness.  Each  was  at  peace  with  his 
neighbor  and  all  the  world;  and  I  am  firmly  persuaded  that  the  resigna- 
tion which  was  then  shown  to  the  will  of  the  Almighty,  was  the  means 
of  obtaining  His  mercy.  God  was  merciful  to  us;  and  the  tide  almost 
miraculously  fell  no  lower."  The  "three  bowers  and  stream  anchor,"  or 
some  of  them,  had  held  the  ship,  and  when  the  weather  cleared  they 
found  themselves  in  a  bight  of  Rowe's  Welcome,  which  they  gratefully 
named  the  Bay  of  God's  Mercy. 

On  the  1 2th  of  September  they  reached  the  mouth  of  Wager 
River,  where  they  encountered  a  second  terrific  gale,  in  which  the 
Griper  could  make  no  headway,  but  «  remained  actually  pitching  fore- 
castle under,  with  scarcely  steerage  way."  She  was  brought  to  by  cast- 
ing her  anchors,  which  fortunately  held,  while  thick  falling  sleet  cov- 


THE   GRIPER    UNFIT  FOR  DUTT. 


313 


ered  the  deck  to  a  depth  of  several  inches.  The  spray  froze  as  it  fell  on 
the  deck;  the  night  was  one  of  pitchy  darkness;  and  to  add  to  the 
danger,  several  ice  streams  drove  down  upon  the  ship.  Great  seas 
washed  over  them  at  short  intervals,  and  their  wet  clothes  were  frozen 
stiff,  while  they  held  to  the  ropes  which  were  stretched  across  the 
deck  to  keep  them  from  being  washed  overboard.  As  the  morning 
dawned  the  danger  became  appalling,  for  all  the  cables  gave  way,  and 
the  ship  was  lying  on  her  broadside.  But  each  man  did  his  duty,  and 
the  captain's  experience  in  northern  latitudes,  combined  with  the  fertility 
of  resource  learned  in  the  school  of  Parry,  thus  reinforced,  triumphed 
over  the  dangers  of  the  deep,  and  they  were  saved. 

When  the  storm  had  abated,  after  its  two  days'  fury,  Lyon  held  a 
consultation  with  his  officers,  and  it  was  wisely  determined  to  return  to 
England.  The  season  was  almost  spent;  the  Griper  was  without  an- 
chors, and  at  the  best  was  not  adapted  for  battling  with  the  ice,  as 
Parry  had  ascertained  five  years  before.  Nothing  had  been  achieved, 
but  the  heroism  and  courage  of  officers  and  men  received,  as  they  richly 
deserved,  the  highest  praise.  They  did  not  winter  in  Repulse  Bay,  as 
predetermined,  Rowe's  Welcome  having  proved  sufficiently  repulsive 
in  the  early  autumn. 

Lyon  survived  his  return  only  eight  }'ears,  dying  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-seven.  His  contribution  to  Arctic  exploration  was  not  notewor- 
thy, but  the  saving  of  his  men  and  ship  under  such  difficulties,  leaves  no 
room  to  doubt  that  under  more  favorable  circumstances  he  would  have 
achieved  success,  and  is  a  notable  illustration  of  the  great  value  of  per- 
fect discipline  in  all  such  expeditions. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

HEECIIEY'S  ARCTIC  VOYAGE — SAIL  FROM  SPITHEAD — KOTZEBUE  SOUND 
REMARKABLE  PHENOMENA RETURN  REEF JOURNEY  HOME- 
WARD. 

William  Frederick  Beechey  (1796-1856)  had  accompanied  Fi^anklin 
in  1818,  and  Parry  in  1819,  and  was  now,  in  1825,  deemed  a  suitable 
commander  for  an  expedition  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  the  main  purpose  of 
which  was  to  carry  succor  to  both  those  celebrated  explorers,  then  en- 
gaged, as  previously  related,  in  pushing  their  discoveries  in  North  Amer- 
ica, by  sea  and  land.  It  had  occurred  to  the  home  authorities  that  if 
the  expeditions  of  Parry  and  Franklin  had  proved  successful  in  reaching 
their  respective  destinations,  and  prosecuting  their  intended  researches, 
their  stores  would  be  exhausted,  or  at  least  need  replenishing,  by  the 
time  they  reached  the  prearranged  rendezvous  at  Chamisso  Island, 
in  Kotzebue  Sound.  Franklin,  in  any  event,  would  need  transportation 
home,  in  a  way  that  would  obviate  the  exposure  and  hardship  of  simply 
retracing  his  overland  journey.  Beechey,  therefore,  was  intrusted  with 
the  command  of  the  ship-of-war  Blossom,  of  twenty-six  guns,  but  carry- 
ing for  this  voyage  only  sixteen.  A  large  boat  or  barge,  decked  and 
rigged  as  a  schooner,  was  added,  to  be  used  as  a  tender,  and  in  narrow 
or  shallow  water  where  the  large  vessel  could  not  venture.  His  instruc- 
tions were  to  survey  the  islands  or  coast  of  the  North  Pacific,  if  time 
would  permit,  but  to  use  every  effort  to  reach  Chamisso  Island  before 
July  10,  1826.  Should  he  find  on  his  arrival  there  that  Franklin  had 
not  reached  it  before  him,  he  was  to  proceed  north  and  east  to  and  be- 
yond Icy  Cape,  in  the  hope  of  falling  in  with  him  somewhere  along  the 
coast  of  North  America,  west  of  the  MacKenzie  River.  He  was  liot  to 
return  through  Behring's  Strait  until  the  end  of  October,  in  the  event  of 
not  meeting  Franklin;  and  was  to  renew  the  effort  in  the  summer  of 
1827,  after  spending  the  winter  in  some  more  southern  latitude. 

814 


315 


316  SAIL   FROM  SPITHEAD. 

The  Blossom  sailed  from  Spithead  on  tbe  19th  of  May,  1825; 
but  the  earlier  incidents  of  the  voyage  do  not  come  within  the  scope  of 
this  work.  On  the  3d  of  June,  1826,  she  left  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and 
on  the  2yth  was  becalmed  within  six  miles  of  Petropaulovsky,  in  Kam- 
chatka, which,  however,  was  reached  on  the  next  day.  Here  they  fell 
in  with  the  Russian  ship-of-war  Modeste,  commanded  by  Capt. 
Wrangell  of  Arctic  sledge-journey  fame.  Here  Beechey  learned  of  Par- 
ry's return  to  England,  which  reduced  his  mission  to  the  single  object  of 
meeting  Franklin,  it  being  already  too  late  to  spend  any  time  in  explor- 
ing the  islands  of  the  North  Pacific.  Here  they  had  the  opportunity  of 
seeing  the  active  volcano  of  Avatcha  emitting  huge,  dark  volumes  of 
smoke,  and  from  the  black  spots  seen  on  the  snow,  they  judged  that  there 
had  been  a  quite  recent  eruption.  This  peak  is  about  i  r,ooo  feet  high, 
but  farther  inland,  towers  above  it  the  Streloshnaia  Sopka,  3,000  feet 
higher  still ;  and  the  peninsula  of  Kamchatka  has  no  less  than  twenty- 
eight  active  volcanoes,  besides  many  that  are  extinct.  Many  of  the  peaks 
of  this  Alpine  chain  which  traverses  the  whole  length  of  the  peninsula 
are  of  the  height  indicated,  and  some  as  high  as  16,500  feet,  presenting 
a  beautiful  panorama  of  lofty,  fantastic,  snow-covered  peaks  of  various 
outlines,  interspersed  with  volcanic  cones  emitting  their  dark  columns  of 
smoke,  like  huge  banners  floating  their  waving  folds  high  in  air. 

Beechey  left  Petropaulovsky  July  ist,  but  did  not  get  clear  of  the 
Bay  of  Avatcha  until  the  5th,  when  he  proceeded  north  for  Behring's 
Strait.  "  We  approached,"  says  Beechey,  "  the  strait  which  separates 
the  two  great  continents  of  Asia  and  America,  on  one  of  those  beautiful 
still  nights  well  known  to  all  who  have  visited  the  Arctic  regions,  when 
the  sky  is  without  a  cloud,  and  when  the  midnight  sun,  scarcely  his  own 
diameter  below  the  horizon,  tinges  with  a  bright  hue  all  the  northern 
circle.  Our  ship,  propelled  by  an  increasing  breeze,  glided  rapidly  along 
a  smooth  sea,  startling  from  her  path  flocks  of  aquatic  birds,  whose  flight 
in  the  deep  silence  of  the  scene,  could  be  traced  by  the  ear  a  great  dis- 
tance." Approaching  the  American  shore  just  beyond  Cape  Prince  of 
Wales,  they  were  visited  by  some  Esquimaux  from  a  small  neighboring 
island,  who  were  as  usual  quite  noisy  and  energetic  as  well  as  good- 


REMARKABLE  PHENOMENON.  317 

humored  and  cheerful  in  their  eagerness  to  exchange  their  various  little 
commodities  for  the  trinkets,  beads  and  knives  with  which  their  visitors 
had  supplied  themselves  before  leaving  England.  On  the  22d  of  July 
they  anchored  in  Kotzebue  Sound,  and  explored  a  deep  bay  on  its  north- 
ern shore,  which  they  named  Hotham  Inlet.  Three  days  later  they 
arrived  at  Chamisso  Island,  and  not  finding  Franklin,  they  set  sail  for 
the  Icy  Cape  on  the  3oth,  dispatching  the  barge  with  instructions  to  keep 
close  to  the  shore  to  watch  for  Franklin's  overland  party.  The  Blossom 
doubled  Cape  Krusenstern  and  surveyed  the  coast  to  the  north  and  east, 
successively  passing  Cape  Thomson,  Hope  Point,  Cape  Lisburne,  Cape 
Beaufort  and  the  Icy  Cape — Captain  Cook's  "  limit."  Dreading  the 
closing  in  of  the  ice  ahead,  they  now  sent  forward  the  barge  under  Messrs. 
Elson  and  Smyth,  and  returned  with  the  Blossom  to  Chamisso  Island- 
While  on  this  return  voyage  on  the  night  of  the  25th  of  August,  they 
saw  an  aurora  borealis,  which  Beechey  thus  describes :  "It  first  appeared 
in  an  arch  extending  from  west-by-north  to  northeasf;  but  the  arch 
shortly  after  its  first  appearance  broke  up  and  entirely  disappeared.  Soon 
after  this,  however,  a  new  display  began  in  the  direction  of  the  western 
foot  of  the  first  arch,  preceded  by  a  bright  flame,  from  which  emanated 
coruscations  of  a  pale  straw-color.  Another  simultaneous  movement  oc- 
curred at  both  extremities  of  the  arch,  until  a  complete  segment  was 
formed  of  wavering  perpendicular  radii.  As  soon  as  the  arch  was  com- 
plete, the  light  became  greatly  increased,  and  the  prismatic  colors,  which 
had  before  been  faint,  now  shone  forth  in  a  brilliant  manner.  The 
strongest  colors,  which  were  also  the  outside  ones,  were  pink  and  green, 
on  the  green  side  purple  and  pink,  all  of  which  were  as  imperceptibly 
blended  as  in  the  rainbow.  The  green  was  the  color  nearest  the  zenith. 
This  magnificent  display  lasted  a  few  minutes;  and  the  light  had  nearly 
vanished,  when  the  northeast  quarter  sent  forth  a  vigorous  display,  and 
nearly  at  the  same  time  a  corresponding  coruscation  emanated  from  the 
opposite  extremity.  The  western  foot  of  the  arch  then  disengaged  itself 
from  the  horizon,  crooked  to  the  northward,  and  the  whole  retired  to 
the  northeast  quarter,  where  a  bright  spot  blazed  for  a  moment,  and  all 
was  darkness.  There  was  no  noise  audible  during  any  part  of  our  ob- 


318  AN  ESQUIMAUX  MAP. 

serrations,  nor  were  the  compasses  perceptibly  affected."  They  arrived 
at  their  immediate  destination  two  days  later. 

Meanwhile  the  barge,  which  had  set  forward  on  the  lyth,  made  its 
way  slowly  along  the  shore,  Elson  landing  at  intervals  to  erect  posts  and 
deposit  instructions  for  Franklin.  On  the  22d  an  effective  bar  to  their 
further  progress  was  presented  by  the  long  spit  of  land,  the  head  of 
which  Beechey  afterward  named  Point  Barrow.  The  ice  here  closed 
in  to  the  shore,  and  was  seen  extending  to  the  north,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  without  an  opening.  Back  of  this  point  they  now  proposed 
•to  erect  the  last  guide-post  for  Franklin,  but  were  prevented  by  the  hos- 
tile demonstrations  of  some  Esquimaux.  It  was  afterward  ascertained 
that  they  had  reached  within  one  hundred  and  forty-six  miles  of  Return 
Reef,  whence  Franklin  had  set  out  on  the  i8th,  to  return  to  MacKen- 
zie  River,  abandoning  the  hope  of  meeting  Beechey.  Considering  the 
immense  distance  traversed  by  both — constituting  in  fact  a  circuit  of  the 
globe — the  wonder  is  that  they  should  come  so  near  meeting,  not  that 
they  should  fail  to  make  an  actual  connection.  The  barge  having  been 
driven  ashore  by  the  ice,  and  the  natives  showing  an  unfriendly  spirit, 
Elson  and  his  seven  companions  determined  to  set  out  on  their  return. 
Their  alarm  at  the  threatening  attitude  of  the  Esquimaux  and  the 
urgency  of  their  need,  stimulated  their  exertions,  and  they  succeeded  in 
floating  the  barge.  They  now  hastened  to  return,  but  after  proceeding 
some  distance,  they  found  their  way  blocked  by  the  ice.  Around  a  jut- 
ting point  which  they  named  Cape  Smith,  they  were  obliged  to  haul  the 
barge  through  a  narrow  lane,  with  the  ice-floe  momentarily  threatening 
to  close  in,  and  cut  off  their  retreat.  They,  however,  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing Chamisso  Island  in  safety  on  the  9th  of  September,  after  an  absence 
in  all  of  forty-one  days,  and  twenty-three  from  the  Blossom. 

The  Esquimaux  who  visited  Beechey  on  the  island,  exhibited  their 
ingenuity  by  drawing  a  chart  of  the  coast  on  the  sand.  The  coast-line 
was  first  marked  out  with  a  stick,  and  the  distances  regulated  by  days' 
journeys.  The  hills  and  mountains  were  shown  by  little  mounds  of  sand  of 
varying  heights,  and  the  islands  by  collections  of  pebbles  of  proportion- 
ate dimensions.  They  were  much  surprised'  when  Capt.  Beechey 


THE  BLOSSOM  AGROUND.  319 

changed  the  position  of  one  of  the  Diomede  Islands,  but  soon  came 
to  recognize  the  correctness  of  the  new  location  when  they  looked 
at  it  from  another  point  of  view.  Their  wonder  was  none  the  less  that 
the  stranger  could  set  them  right.  They  then  proceeded  to  designate 
the  location  of  the  Esquimaux  villages  and  fishing  stations  by  bundles  of 
sticks  placed  upright;  and  altogether,  the  "  map"  elicited  the  admiration 
of  the  visitors. 

It  was  now  necessary  to  move  south  to  avoid  the  danger  of  getting 
frozen  in,  as  also,  because  their  provisions  were  running  low,  and  it  was 
determined  by  a  council  of  officers  that,  though  the  prescribed  period  of 
their  stay — the  end  of  October — had  not  arrived,  it  was  their  duty  to 
depart.  A  barrel  of  flour  and  some  other  supplies  were  secretly  buried 
for  the  use  of  Franklin,  should  he  reach  the  island,  and  the  usual  bottle 
inclosing  instructions,  was  placed  at  the  foot  of  a  post  or  flag-staff.  They 
accordingly  set  sail  for  Behring's  Strait,  and  after  a  winter's  cruise  to 
California,  the  Sandwich  Islands,  the  Bouin  Islands,  the  Loo-Chow 
Islands  and  others,  they  returned  to  Chamisso  Island  on  the  5th  of  July, 
1827,  where  they  found  the  deposits  of  the  previous  year  untouched. 

The  barge  was  got  in  readiness  and  dispatched  to  the  northward 
under  Lieut.  Belcher,  and  the  ship  soon  followed.  It  was  hoped  they 
could  extend  the  survey  beyond  the  point  reached  by  Elson,  and  per- 
haps obtain  tidings  of  Franklin.  They  found  the  posts  and  bottles  as 
they  had  been  left,  and  the  state  of  the  ice  and  weather  more  unfavorable 
than  before,  and  returned  before  arriving  at  Icy  Cape.  On  the  9th  of 
September  the  Blossom  got  aground  on  a  sandbar  off  Hotham  Inlet, 
but  came  off  at  high  water  without  injury,  and  arrived  at  Chamisso  on 
the  loth.  Not  finding  the  barge  as  expected,  they  carefully  scanned  the 
coast  in  all  directions,  when  they  noticed  a  flag  of  distress  flying  from  a 
peninsula  of  the  sound.  Hastening  to  the  rescue,  they  learned  that  the 
barge  had  been  wrecked  and  three  of  the  men  lost,  aud  took  the  surviv- 
ors aboard.  On  the  29th,  an  unfortunate  collision  with  the  natives 
resulted  in  the  wounding  of  seven  of  the  English,  and  the  killing  of  one 
of  the  Esquimaux.  In  a  thorough  survey  of  the  island  they  discovered 
two  harbors  named  by  Beechey  Port  Clarence  and  Grantley  Harbor. 


320 


JOURNEY  HOMEWARD. 


Leaving  the  customary  deposits  for  the  guidance  of  Franklin,  not 
knowing  that  he  was  already  safe  in  England,  they  finally  took  their 
departure  from  the  Polar  Sea  on  the  6th  of  October,  1827,  narrowly 
escaping  disaster  from  breakers,  on  which  they  were  unexpectedly  driven 
by  the  wind.  On  the  29th  they  were  off  the  coast  of  California,  and 
proceeding  southward,  they  touched  successively  at  Monterey  and  San 
Bias,  in  Mexico,  and  arrived  at  Valparaiso,  Chili,  on  the  29th  of  April, 
1828.  On  the  last  day  of  June  they  crossed  the  meridian  of  Cape  Horn 
in  a  snowstorm;  and  arrived  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  July  2ist,  where  they 
remained  until  the  24th  of  August.  Leaving  the  coast  of  Brazil,  they 
arrived  at  Spithead  on  the  I2th  of  October,  after  an  absence  of  three 
years  and  five  months,  less  seven  days.  They  now  learned  that  Franklin 
had  reached  home  more  than  twelve  months  before. 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

PARRY    IN    SEARCH    OF    THE     POLE PLAN    FOR     SLEDGE    JOURNEYS- 
REINDEER    TRAVEL GRAVES    DISCOVERED MUSSEL    BAY FINE 

WEATHER THE    "ENTERPRISE"    AND    "ENDEAVOR" REINDEER 

ABANDONED — ARRIVE    AT    HECLA    COVE RELIEF THE     CHARAC- 
TER   OF    POLAR    ICE. 

Sir  Edward  Parry  conceived  the  idea  of  reaching  the  North  Pole  by 
a  combination  of  sledge  and  boat  travel,  alternately,  over  the  ice  and 
water  lanes  from  such  points  as  he  should  find  impassable  to  his  ship.  As 
early  as  the  month  of  April,  1826,  he  communicated  this  design  to  the 
first  Lord  of  the  Admiralty.  Being  submitted  to  the  Royal  Society,  and 
receiving  its  approval,  orders  were  given  for  its  execution,  which  was 
intrusted  to  its  author,  his  commission  dating  Nov.  11,  1826.  His  old 
ship,  the  Hecla,  was  to  convey  the  expedition  to  the  Spitzbergen 
Seas;  and  two  boats  were  constructed  for  the  more  northern  trip,  on  a 
specific  plan,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  great  navigator.  They 
were  twenty  feet  long  and  seven  wide,  "  having  great  flatness  of  floor, 
with  the  extreme  breadth  carried  well  forward  and  aft,  and  possessing  the 
utmost  buoyancy,  as  well  as  capacity  for  stowage."  The  wood  frame 
was  of  the  lightest  and  best  material,  and  was  covered  with  Macintosh's 
water-proof  canvas,  tarred  on  the  outside.  Over  this,  fir  plank  only 
three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  thick,  then  a  sheet  of  felt,  and  finally  oak 
plank  of  the  same  thickness  as  the  fir,  were  firmly  fastened  with  screws 
from  without.  On  each  side  of  the  keel,  and  projecting  considerably 
below  it,  was  attached  a  strong  runner,  shod  with  smooth  steel,  for  ice 
travel.  Two  wheels,  five  feet  in  diameter,  with  a  smaller  swivel  wheel 
aft,  were  also  attached,  but  afterward  1'ejected  as  unserviceable.  There 
were  also  provided  ropes  and  collars  whereby  the  men  could,  without 
waste  of  time,  attach  themselves  to  the  boat  to  drag  it  over  the  ice  or 
21  331 


322 


PLAN  FOR  SLEDGE   JOURNEY. 


through  water  lanes,  when  necessary.  A  locker  at  each  end  afforded 
storage  for  instruments  and  some  stores,  and  a  slight  framework  along 
the  side  would  hold  bags  of  biscuit,  pemmican,  and  clothing.  A  bamboo 
mast  nineteen  feet  long,  a  tanned  duck  sail,  answering  also  the  purpose 
of  an  awning,  one  boat  hook,  fourteen  paddles,  one  for  each  of  the  boat's 
crew,  and  one  steer-oar,  completed  the  equipment.  To  each  boat  were 
assigned  two  officers,  and  two  sledges,  weighing  each  twenty-six  pounds. 
The  aggregate  weight  of  a  boat,  with  its  supplies  and  equipment,  was 
3753  p°imds,  or  268  pounds  to  every  one  of  the  crew. 


SLEIGH    DRAWN   BY   SINGLE   REINDEER. 


All  things  being  in  readiness,  the  Hecla  was  towed  down  the  Thames 
March  25,  1827,  and  on  the  4th  of  April  left  the  Nore.  With  favorable 
winds  they  were  off  Hammerfest  on  the  lyth,  and  reached  its  harbor 
early  in  the  morning  of  the  igth,  where  they  remained  ten  days.  While 
Parry,  assisted  by  Lieut.  Foster,  prosecuted  magnetic  and  other  scientific 
observations,  Lieut.  Crozier  was  dispatched  to  Alten,  sixty  miles  away, 
to  procure  the  eight  reindeer  necessary  for  the  sledges.  "  Nothing  can 
be  more  beautiful,"  says  Parry,  "  than  the  training  of  the  Lapland  rein- 
deer. With  a  simple  collar  of  skin  round  his  neck,  a  single  trace  of  trje 
same  material  attached  to  the  sledge  and  passing  between  his  legs,  and 
one  rein  fastened  like  a  halter  about  his  neck,  this  intelligent  and  docile 


REINDEER  TRAVEL.  328 

animal  is  perfectly  under  the  command  of  an  experienced  driver,  and 
performs  astonishing  journeys  over  the  softest  snow.  When  the  rein  is 
thrown  over  on  the  off  side  of  the  animal,  he  immediately  sets  off  at  a 
full  trot,  and  stops  short  the  instant  it  is  thrown  back  to  the  near  side. 
Shaking  the  rein  over  his  back,  is  the  only  whip  that  is  required.  In  a 
short  time  after  setting  off  they  appear  to  be  gasping  for  breath,  as  if 
quite  exhausted;  but,  if  not  driven  too  fast  at  first,  they  soon  recover,  and 
then  go  on  without  difficulty.  The  quantity  of  clean  moss  considered 
requisite  for  each  deer  per  day,  is  four  pounds;  but  they  will  go  five  or 
six  days  without  provender,  and  not  suffer  materially.  As  long  as  they 
can  pick  up  snow  as  they  go  along,  which  they  like  to  eat  quite  clean, 
they  require  no  water;  and  ice  is  to  them  a  comfortable  bed." 

Having  procured  the  reindeer,  and  some  supplementary  Arctic  equip- 
ments, they  set  sail  on  the  29th  of  April.  On  the  5th  of  May,  in  73°  30' 
by  7°  28'  east,  they  met  loose  ice;  and  1 10  miles  further  to  the  north- 
northwest,  in  74°  55',  by  a  few  miles  east  of  the  meridian  of  Greenwich, 
on  the  morning  of  the  7th,  they  encountered  a  continuous  ice  stream.  On 
the  loth  they  fell  in  with  whalers,  who  were  endeavoring  to  push  to  the 
north  to  latitude  78°,  south  of  which  they  never  expected  to  catch  whales. 
The  Hecla,  accompanied  by  the  whalers,  made  fifty  miles  to  northward 
during  the  night,  sometimes  "  boring  "  through  with  difficulty.  On  the 
1 4th,  passing  Magdalena  Bay,  they  arrived  off  Hakluyt  Headland,  and 
worked  to  the  southeast  to  reach  Smerenburg  Harbor,  which  they  found 
completely  frozen  in.  Walruses,  dovekies  and  eider-ducks  were  seen  in 
great  numbers,  and  four  wild  reindeer  came  near  the  ship  on  the  ice. 
They  now  endeavored  to  make  a  deposit  of  provisions  on  the  Headland, 
but  were  driven  off  by  a  high  wind,  which  put  the  ship  almost  on  her 
beam  ends.  As  the  safer  alternative  they  drove  the  ship  through  the 
ice,  and  at  four  in  the  morning  of  the  I5th  found  themselves  in  a  perfectly 
secure  situation,  half  a  mile  within  the  ice  pack.  On  the  22d  Lieut. 
James  C.  Ross,  with  a  party  of  officers  and  men,  effected  a  landing  over 
the  ice,  and  found  on  a  hillock  two  graves  with  the  dates  1741  and  1762, 
and  a  considerable  quantity  of  fiy  driftwood,  but  no  harbor  for  the  ship. 

On  the  27th  an  attempt  was  made  to  proceed  northward  with  the 


3.>4  FINE    WEATHER. 

sledge-boats  on  the  ice,  which  around  the  ship  resembled  a  stone-mason's 
yard,  with  the  difference  that  the  blocks  were  ten  times  the  usual  dimen- 
sions. The  trial  was  made,  but  soon  abandoned  as  utterly  impractica- 
ble, because  of  the  high  and  sharp  angular  masses  of  ice  that  constituted 
the  "  stone-mason's  yard."  On  the  2pth  and  3Oth  the  greater  part  of  the 
ship's  company,  under  Lieuts.  Foster  and  Crozier,  were  laboriously  occu- 
pied in  transporting  a  boat  load  of  provisions  over  the  ice  to  Red  Beach, 
six  miles  distant.  On  the  ist  of  June  Parry  was  about  to  make  a  second 
attempt  to  proceed  to  the  north,  when  the  Hecla  began  to  move  to  the 
east  with  the  floe  in  which  she  was  embedded,  and  continued  to  drift 
until  the  6th,  when  she  reached  Mussel  Bay,  where  Parry,  with  some 
officers  and  men,  landed  to  make  a  small  deposit  of  provisions,  and  seek  a 
harbor  for  the  ship,  but  failed  in  the  latter  object.  The  drifting  con- 
tinued until  the  evening  of  the  8th,  when,  under  the  influence  of  a  south- 
erly wind,  they  finally  got  clear  of  the  ice  after  a  detention  of  twenty- 
four  days.  «• 

"  I  do  not  remember,"  says  Parry,  "to  have  experienced  in  these  re- 
gions such  a  continuance  of  beautiful  weather  as  we  now  had,  during 
more  than  three  weeks  that  we  had  been  on  the  northern  coast  of  Spitz- 
bergen.  Day  after  day  we  had  a  clear  and  cloudless  sky,  scarcely  any 
wind,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  few  days  previous  to  the  23d  of  May, 
a  warm  temperature  in  the  shade,  and  quite  a  scorching  sun.  On  the  3d 
of  June  we  had  a  shower  of  rain,  and  on  the  6th  it  rained  pretty  hard  for 
two  or  three  hours."  But  now  the  weather  was  thick  and  so  con- 
tinued until  the  loth,  when  under  a  west-southeast  wind  it  cleared,  and 
they  made  for  Brandy  wine  Bay,  with  the  islands  Low  and  Walden  in 
sight,  but  found  every  cove  and  harbor  blocked  with  shore-ice,  extending 
in  some  places  six  or  seven  miles  from  land.  Pushing  northward  to  80° 
43'  32"»  tne  Seven  Islands  were  seen  to  the  east,  and  Lord  Mulgrave's 
Little-Table  Island,  nine  or  ten  miles  to  the  east-northeast.  This  is  a 
mere  crag,  rising  about  400  feet  above  sea-level,  with  a  low  islet  off"  its 
northern  extremity.  "This  island,"  says  Parry,  "being  the  northernmost 
known  land  in  the  world,  naturally  excked  much  of  our  curiosity;  and 
bleak,  and  barren,  and  rugged  as  it  is,  one  could  not  help  gazing  at  it 


HECLA   COVE. 


325 


with  intense  interest."  At  midnight  on  the  i4th  they  were  at  81  °  5' 
32"  by  19°  34'  east,  with  nothing  visible  to  the  north,  but  loose  drift- 
ice.  Doubling  back  they  tried  to  find  a  harbor  on  Walden  Island,  but 
failed,  leaving,  however,  a  small  deposit  of  provisions;  then,  on  Little- 
Table  Island,  where  they  also  failed  to  find  an  open  harbor,  but  left  some 
provisions  on  one  of  the  islets.  Now  sailing  south  they  found  on  the 
JOth,  a  secure  refuge  for  the  Hecla  in  Treurenburg  Bay,  near  Verlegen 
Hook — both  so  named  by  the  Dutch — and  named  it  Hecla  Cove,  in  lati- 
tude 79°  55'  and  longitude  16°  49'  east. 


MUSSEL   BAY. 


Leaving  the  vessel  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Foster,  Parry  now  set 
out  with  his  two  boats,  which  he  named  the  "Enterprise"  and  "En- 
deavor," himself  in  command  of  the  one,  with  Mr.  Beverly  as  compan- 
ion, and  Lieutenant  Ross  in  command  of  the  other,  with  Mr.  Bird  as 
companion.  Lieutenant  Crozier  in  one  of  the  Hecla's  boats,  accom- 
panied the  party  to  Walden  Island  with  part  of  their  provisions,  together 
with  some  to  be  deposited  on  Low  Island.  Foster  was  to  make  a  simi- 
lar deposit  near  Hecla  Cove,  to  meet  the  contingency  of  finding  it  neces- 
sary to  get  away  with  the  ships,  and  to  leave  one  of  the  ship's  boats  on 
Walden  Island  for  the  use  of  Parry  and  his  party,  in  the  event  of  their 
being  compelled  to  return  without  their  own.  All  possible  provision 


326  HIGH  LATITUDE. 

having  been  thus  made  in  advance,  the  exploring  party  set  out  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  2ist,  and  took  their  final  departure  for  the  North  Pole 
from  their  most  northern  depot  on  the  islet  already  mentioned  on  the 
night  of  the  23d,  at  half-past  ten  o'clock,  reaching  by  midnight  the  lati- 
tude of  80°  51 '  13".  Thus  it  had  taken  eighty  days  at  sea,  besides  six 
months  of  preparation,  before  they  could  get  fairly  started  for  the  Pole, 
which  helps  to  show  that,if  that  point  can  ever  be  reached,  the  starting 
point  must  be  as  far  north  as  possible.  By  noon  of  the  next  day,  at  81° 
12'  51",  they  were  stopped  by  the  ice  and  made  their  first  portage.  To 
avoid  as  much  as  possible  the  discomfort  of  "snow  blindness,"  they  trav- 
eled by  night  and  rested  by  day,  that  is,  while  the  sun  was  lowest  and 
highest,  respectively,  for  they  had  constant  daylight.  The  daily  allow- 
ance of  provisions  for  each  man  was  as  follows:  Biscuit,  ten  ounces; 
pemmican,  nine;  sweetened  cocoa  powder,  one — sufficient  to  make  one 
pint;  rum,  one  gill;  and  tobacco,  three  ounces  a  week.  The  fuel  was 
spirits  of  wine — two  pints  a  day  for  the  whole  company. 

From  the  nature  of  the  ice  encountered,  they  had  given  up  the  idea 
of  using  the  reindeer;  and  so  the  men  did  the  hauling,  while  the  officers 
acted  as  scouts  or  pioneers.  It  required  an  enthusiasm  little  short  of  fa- 
naticism or  insanity  to  struggle  as  they  did  for  the  thirty-three  days 'they 
spent  in  reaching  their  utmost  limit — 82°  45'.  Arriving  at  a  lane  of 
water,  they  launched  their  boats  and  paddled  across  to  the  margin  of  the 
floe.  Landing  slowly  and  carefully — for  the  ice  was  usually  weak  at  the 
edge — they  hauled  them  across  the  ridges  and  hummocks,  and  rough  ice, 
until  they  got  to  another  lane.  This  process  was  usually  repeated  several 
times  a  day,  and  was  so  slow  as  well  as  laborious,  that  at  one  stage  of 
their  progress  they  made  only  eight  miles  in  five  days.  On  the  22d  of 
July  they  made  their  best  run  of  seventeen  miles,  and  on  the  23d  had 
reached  the  limit  already  mentioned — 82°  45'.  They  continued  their 
efforts  for  three  days  longer,  but  the  wind  having  unfortunately  veered 
to  the  north,  the  floe  was  found  to  be  drifting  south  faster  than  they 
could  advance  in  the  contrary  direction.  At  noon  on  the  26th  they  ascer- 
tained that  they  were  three  miles  south  of  the  point  reached  at  midnight 
of  the  22d.  It  was  clearly  useless  to  prosecute  the  attempt  farther. 


327 


328  ARRIVAL  AT  HECLA   COVE. 

Even  the  energy  and  enthusiasm,  the  "enterprise  and  endeavor,"  of  Parry 
and  his  men,  could  not  but  succumb  to  such  an  untoward  obstruction. 
Though  zealous  to  fanaticism  in  pursuit  of  the  object  of  their  ambition, 
neither  commander  nor  men  were  without  sterling  common  sense.  The 
task  was  hopeless;  and  their  duty  was  now  to  return.  They  were  only 
172  miles  from  Hecla  Cove,  in  a  northwest  direction.  "To  accomplish 
this  distance,"  says  Parry,  "  we  had  traversed,  by  our  reckoning,  292 
miles,  of  which  about  100  were  performed  by  water,  previous  to  our 
entering  the  ice.  As  we  traveled  by  far  the  greater  part  of  our  distance 
on  the  ice,  three,  and  not  infrequently  five  times  over,  we  may  safely 
multiply  the  length  of  the  road  by  two  and  a  half;  so  that,  our  whole 
distance  on  a  very  moderate  calculation,  amounted  to  580  geographical, 
or  668  statute  miles,  being  nearly  sufficient  to  have  reached  the  Pole  in  a 
direct  line."  Among  the  drawbacks  of  the  season  it  was  noticed  that 
there  had  been  "more  rain  than  during  the  whole  of  seven  previous  sum- 
mers taken  together,  though  passed  in  latitudes  from  70  to  15°  lower 
than  this." 

Devoting  a  whole  day  to  rest,  they  set  out  to  return  to  the  ship  at 
half-past  four  in  the  afternoon  of  July  27th,  and  arrived  at  Hecla  Cove 
August  2  ist,  the  drift  materially  facilitating  their  southward  progress. 
For  instance,  on  the  3Oth,  though  they  had  traveled  but  seven  miles,  they 
found  themselves  twelve  and  a  half  miles  farther  south  than  on  the  pre- 
ceding day;  and  on  the  3ist,  though  in  eleven  and  a  half  hours  they  had 
made  only  two  and  a  half  miles,  the  traveling  being  very  laborious, 
they  had  with  the  help  of  the  drift,  moved  south  four  miles  more.  Even 
when  the  wind  again  changed  to  the  south,  it  did  not  entirely  cut  off, 
though  it  sensibly  lessened,  the  gain  by  the  drift.  This  help,  however, 
in  nowise  lessened  the  labor  and  fatigue  of  the  journey,  only  to  the 
extent  of  shortening  its  duration.  Every  mile  of  the  way  actually  made 
by  the  travelers  was  won  in  the  same  slow  and  distressing  manner  as  on 
the  outward  trip,  by  alternate  paddling  in  the  water  and  dragging  over 
the  ice.  The  constant  wet  and  cold  had  also  affected  several  of  the 
men  with  chilblains,  and  the  tediousness  as  well  as  fatigue  of  the  weary 
journey  had  begun  to  tell  on  their  strength  and  energy. 


RELIEF.  329 

The  killing-  of  a  bear  by  Lieut.  Ross  on  the  24th,  procured  them  a 
beneficial  and  much  appreciated  change  of"  diet,  though,  as  usual  in  such 
cases,  they  suffered  somewhat  from  a  too  free  use  of  the  fresh  meat. 
On  this  trip  they  observed  the  phenomenon  of  red  snow,  described  in  a 
preceding  chapter.  Finally,  on  the  morning  of  the  12th,  they  reached 
their  depot  off  Little  Table  Island,  where  they  found  that  the  bears  had 
devoured  all  the  bread,  but  Lieut.  Crozier  had  recently  deposited  some 
anti-scorbutics  and  delicacies,  which  proved  very  seasonable,  as  symp- 
toms of  scurvy  had  begun  to  appear  in  some  of  the  men;  and  also  an 
account  by  Lieut.  Foster  of  what  had  occurred  at  Hecla  Cove  to  July 
23d.  From  this  it  was  learned  that  the  Hecla  had  been  driven  ashore 
by  the  ice  on  the  yth  of  July,  but  had  been  got  off  by  the  exertions 
of  officers  and  men  without  having  sustained  any  injury.  Taking  the 
remaining  stores  aboard,  they  next  proceeded  to  Walden  Island,  where 
they  landed,  after  having  "  been  fifty-six  hours  without  rest,  and  forty- 
eight  at  work  in  the  boats  " — their  first  repose  on  land  for  fifty-two  days. 
A  blazing  fire  of  driftwood,  a  hot,  abundant  supper,  and  a  few  hours' 
quiet  rest,  soon  restored  them.  Securing  the  extra  boat  and  provisions 
that  had  been  left  on  the  island,  they  had  hopes  of  soon  rejoining  the 
ship,  but  adverse  winds  and  bad  weather  so  delayed  them,  that  it  took 
a  week  to  make  what  had  cost  them  but  a  day  on  the  outgoing  trip. 
Arriving  finally  on  board  the  Hecla  after  an  absence  of  sixty-one  days, 
they  justly  felt  assured  that  if  perseverance  and  energy  could  have  won 
success,  they  would  certainly  have  attained  the  object  of  their  ambition, 
and  floated  the  union  jack  at  the  North  Pole. 

On  the  28th  they  left  Hecla  Cove,  and  securing  the  provisions  .de- 
posited with  so  much  labor  on  Red  Beach  on  the  way,  they  rounded 
Hakluyt  Headland  on  the  3Oth,  and  stood  south  for  England.  On  the 
iyth  of  September  they  reached  the  Shetland  Islands,  and  anchoring 
in  the  Voe,  enjoyed  the  welcome  hospitality  of  the  inhabitants.  The 
Hecla  being  detained  in  the  north  by  contrary  winds,  Parry,  on  the 
25th,  went  aboard  the  revenue  cutter  Chichester,  which  they  had  fallen 
in  with  two  days  before  at  Long  Hope,  in  the  Orkneys,  and  was 
landed  at  Inverness  on  the  26th.  He  proceeded  overland  to  London, 


330  CLOSE   OF  PARRT'S   CAREER. 

arriving  on  the  29th  of  September,  the  same  day  on  which  died  aboard 
the  Hecla  his  "  Greenland  master,"  who  had  accompanied  him  on  five 
Arctic  voyages.  The  vessel  finally  reached  the  Thames  on  the  6th  of 
October,  and  with  her  arrival  ended  the  career  of  Parry  as  an  explorer, 
though  he  survived  to  1855.  He  had  contributed  more  than  his  share 
by  effort  and  achievement  toward  the  solution  of  the  two  great  prob- 
lems— the  Northwest  Passage  and  the  Discovery  of  the  Pole;  and  it 
was  through  no  fault  of  his  that  he  did  not  solve  both.  His  attention 
to  every  necessary  detail,  and  his  constant  use  of  every  precaution 
against  mishap  to  his  men  and  ships,  was  remarkable.  In  this  last  Po- 
lar voyage  he  gave — as  Wrangell  had  done  before  in  more  eastern  lon- 
gitudes— a  clear  conception  of  how  uneven  and  almost  impassable,  and 
broken  by  water-lanes,  is  the  ice  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  how  entirely 
unlike  any  frozen  surface  with  which  the  denizens  of  more  southern 
climes  are  familiar.  It  was  conjectured  that  around  the  Pole,  and  far 
to  the  south,  would  be  found  a  solid,  uniform  crust  of  ice,  on  which, 
with  the  proper  outfit,  progress  would  be  as  easy  and  rapid  as  on  one  of 
the  more  southern  frozen  lakes.  This  illusion  was  rudely  broken  by 
the  stern  logic  of  very  unwelcome  and  very  obstructive  facts. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

ROSS'    SECOND    VOYAGE EMPLOYED    BY    FELIX    BOOTH JAS.    C.  ROSS 

FIRST    USE    OF    STEAM    IN    ARCTIC    VOYAGES LANCASTER     SOUND 

—  NIPPED     IN     THE     ICE IN     WINTER     QUARTERS VISITED     BY 

ESQUIMAUX EXHAUSTED    TEAMS  —  PROVISIONS     REDUCED MAG- 
NETIC   POLE    DISCOVERED. 

Capt.  John  Ross,  naturally  desirous  of  vindicating  his  title  to  fame  as 
an  Arctic  explorer,  which  had  been  clouded,  if  not  obliterated  by  his 
somewhat  ignominious  failure  in  1818,  solicited  the  command  of  a  fresh 
expedition  in  1829,  which  was  refused  on  the  ground  of  retrenchment  in 
that  direction.  He  was  now  in  his  fifty-second  year,  and  as  has  been 
intimated,  had  distinguished  himself  for  bravery  and  skill  in  the  French 
war  of  1793-1815.  Born  in  1777,  he  entered  the  navy  while  yet  a  boy, 
served  fifteen  years  as  a  midshipman,  seven  as  a  lieutenant,  seven  as  com- 
mander, and  was  promoted  to  a  captaincy  in  1818,  before  proceeding  on 
his  first  Arctic  voyage.  The  government  declining  to  defray  the  expense 
of  an  exploring  expedition  where  so  many  had  proved  unsatisfactory,  Ross 
sought  and  found  a  patron  in  Felix  Booth,  a  wealthy  distiller,  at  that 
time  filling  the  office  of  sheriff.  Booth  was  not  unwilling  to  defray  the 
expense,  but  as  the  parliamentary  reward  of  $100,000  to  whoever 
should  discover  the  Northwest  Passage  might  give  a  color  of  possible 
interest  or  far-sighted  speculation  to  his  support  of  the  enterprise,  "  what 
might  be  deemed  by  others,"  he  said,  "a  mere  mercantile  speculation," 
he  insisted  on  the  withdrawal  of  the  prize.  This  being  done,  and  the 
government  being  unwilling  to  be  outdone,  he  was  created  a  knight  for 
his  munificence. 

Capt.  Ross — he  was  not  yet  Sir  John — was  now  empowered  by 
Booth  to  provide1  a  vessel  and  the  necessary  equipment;  and  he  soon 
proceeded  to  Liverpool,  where  he  purchased  a  side- wheel  steamer  for- 

331 


332  FIRST  ARCTIC  STEAM  NAVIGATION. 

the  voyage.  He  is  therefore  entitled  to  the  credit  of  being  the  first  to 
contemplate  the  use  of  steam  power  in  Arctic  navigation.  It  was  rather 
an  unfortunate  selection,  as  nothing  more  unpractical  than  paddle-boxes 
to  encounter  ice-floes  and  ice-packs,  can  well  be  conceived.  He,  how- 
ever, took  the  precaution  to  strengthen  his  ship,  and  added  various  im- 
provements to  adapt  her  to  the  voyage  upon  which  she  was  about  to 
enter.  The  supply  of  provisions  and  stores  was  calculated  on  a  liberal 
basis  for  twenty-eight  men  for  1,000  days,  and  cost,  including  price  of 
vessel,  $85,000.  When  fitted  she  was  of  150  tons  burden,  and  received 
the  name  of  the  Victory. 

The  second  in  command  was  the  nephew  of  the  Captain,  James 
Clark  Ross,  now  a  commander  only,  afterward  Sir  James  Ross,  who, 
like  his  uncle,  had  entered  the  navy  at  the  early  age  of  twelve,  and  hand 
served  under  him  in  the  Baltic,  the  White  Sea,  and  the  coast  of  Scotland, 
and  his  first  voyage  in  search  of  the  Northwest  Passage,  in  1818,  being 
then  in  his  nineteenth  year.  He  had  since  been  with  Parry  in  all  his 
voyages  from  1819  to  1827,  and  was  now  in  his  thirtieth  year.  It 
will  be  seen  that  his  Arctic  experience  was  large,  and  he  proved  an 
efficient  aid  to  his  uncle  and  chief. 

As  the  government  contribution  toward  the  success  of  the  expedi- 
tion, the  admiralty  furnished  a  deck-boat  of  sixteen  tons  burden,  called 
the  Krusenstern,  and  two  strong  boats  which  had  been  used  by  Frank- 
lin, together  with  some  books  and  instruments.  The  ship  and  outfit  at- 
tracted considerable  attention,  and  among  a  host  of  less  distinguished 
persons  was  visited  by  Louis  Philippe,  the  future  king  of  the  French, 
and  many  other  notables.  The  Victory  was  to  have  been  accom- 
panied by  a  tender  or  store-ship  to  lighten  her  burden  until  they  reached 
the  ice,  but  a  mutiny  on  this  vessel  in  Loch  Ryan,  at  the  entrance  to  the 
Firth  of  Clyde,  broke  up  that  arrangement;  and  she  steamed  off  without 
a  consort,  from  Woolwich,  England,  on  the  23d  of  May,  1829.  Her 
engines,  however,  proved  a  source  of  anxiety  to  Capt.  Ross,  and'  their 
use  was  soon  abandoned.  Steamships  had  as  yet  been  but  little  used  for 
ocean  voyages,  and  the  timidity  of  inexperience  was  ready  to  take  refuge 
in  the  old  and  tried  method  of  sailing.  It  is  true,  Fitch  and  Rumsey,  in 


LANCASTER  SOUND.  333 

America,  had  made  experiments  in  the  line  of  propelling  vessels  by 
steam  as  early  as  1783;  and  in  1788  Fitch  had  launched  a  paddle  steam- 
boat in  which  he  made  a  trip  from  Burlington  to  Philadelphia  and  re- 
turn, at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour.  Symington,  on  the  Clyde,  had 
made  his  first  trip  the  same  year;  and  in  1807  Fulton  made  the  first  real- 
ly successful  voyage  by  steam  from  New  York  to  Albany,  in  the  Cler- 
mont,  making  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  in  twentv-four  hours  against 
wind  and  tide.  In  1808  Stevens  made  a  short  ocean  voyage  by  steam 
from  New  York  to  Philadelphia.  A  steam  voyage  from  Glasgow  to 
London  followed  in  1815;  and  one  from  New  York  to  New  Orleans,  in 
1818.  The  first  steam  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  was  made  by  the 
Savannah  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  in  1819,  but  having  ex- 
hausted her  supply  of  coal,  she  was  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  her  sails 
toward  the  close  of  the  voyage.  Indeed,  it  was  not  until  1833  that  the 
route  was  considered  entirely  practicable  for  steam  navigation.  Now, 
when  even  whalers  use  steam  power  at  least  as  an  auxiliary,  one 
is  liable  to  wonder  why  Ross  did  not  carry  forward  his  original  concep- 
tion. It  is,  therefore,  but  justice  to  him  to  draw  the  reader's  attention  to 
the  state  of  the  question  in  that  day. 

While  sailing  up  Davis'  Strait,  the  Victory,  having  received  some 
injury  to  her  spars  and  rigging,  put  into  Holsteinberg,  on  the  Greenland 
coast,  just  within  the  Arctic  Circle,  for  repairs.  Leaving  on  the  26th  of 
June,  they  found  clear  sailing  through  Baffin's  Bay  and  Lancaster 
Sound,  with  the  thermometer  at  about  40°,  and  the  weather  so  mild  and 
genial  that  the  officers  could  dine  without  a  fire,  and  even  with  the  sky- 
light partially  open.  They  saw  no  ice  or  snow  except  on  the  mountain 
tops;  and  at  the  entrance  to  Barrow  Strait,  where  Parry  at  one  time'  en- 
countered such  obstruction  from  the  ice,  there  was  seen  neither  iceberg 
nor  ice-floe. 

Passing  Cape  York  on  the  loth  of  August,  they  entered  Prince 
Regent  Inlet,  and  making  for  the  western  shore  they  finally  fell  in  with 
impeding  ice  between  Sepping  and  El  win  Bays,  on  the  I2th.  The  en- 
suing clay  they  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  Fury  had  been  aban- 
doned, but  could  see  no  trace  of  the  disabled  vessel.  Her  supplies  and 


334  NIPPED  IN  THE  ICE. 

provisions,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  been  put  ashore  prepara- 
tory to  heaving  her  on  the  ice  for  repairs,  were  found  intact  and  unin- 
jured, and  now  furnished  seasonable  replenishing  to  those  of  the  Victory. 
They  left  some  for  the  use  of  possible  future  navigators,  and  made 
their  own  stock  good  for  1020  days  from  date.  On  the  I5th  they 
reached  Cape  Garry,  just  beyond  Parry's  "  limit,"  but  sighted  and 
named  by  him.  Since  leaving  El  win  Bay  they  had  encountered  almost 
constant  obstruction  from  ice-floe  and  icebergs,  but  not  to  the  same  extent 
as  their  predecessors,  having  arrived  earlier,  and  the  season  proving 
much  more  favorable.  Like  them,  however,  they  were  often  compelled 
to  make  fast  to  the  smaller  icebergs,  or  to  ice-floe,  and  drift  with  them, 
now  backward,  now  forward,  from  the  shore  or  toward  it,  as  the  wind 
drove  or  the  current  ran,  with  huge  towering  masses  of  ice  plung- 
ing around  on  every  side.  The  Victory  was  at  times  sorely  pressed 
and  received  several  hard  knocks  and  crushing  squeezes,  besides  be- 
ins:  carried  out  of  her  course  on  several  occasions.  Once  she  lost  nine- 

o 

teen  miles  in  a  few  hours,  the  current  speeding  fast  in  a  contrary  direc- 
tion; yet  no  serious  damage  was  suffered. 

"Imagine,"  says  Parry,  "these  mountains  hurled  through  a  narrow 
strait  by  a  rapid  tide,  meeting  with  the  noise  of  thunder,  breaking  from 
each  other's  precipices  huge  fragments,  or  rending  each  other  asunder, 
till,  losing  their  former  equilibrium,  they  fall  over  headlong,  lifting  the 
sea  around  in  breakers,  and  whirling  it  in  eddies.  There  is  not  a  moment 
in  which  it  can  be  conjectured  what  will  happen  in  the  next.  The  atten- 
tion is  troubled  to  fix  on  anything  amid  such  confusion ;  still  must  it  be 
alive  that  it  may  seize  on  the  single  moment  of  help  or  escape  which 
may  occur.  Yet,  with  all  this,  and  it  is  the  hardest  task  of  all,  there  is 
nothing  to  be  acted,  no  effort  t<?  be  made.  One  must  be  patient,  as  if  he 
were  unconcerned  or  careless,  waiting  as  he  best  can  for  the  fate,  be  it 
what  it  may,  which  he  cannot  influence  or  avoid." 

Despite  all  obstacles  they  continued  to  make  some  progress  to  the 
south,  and  by  the  middle  of  September  had  explored  100  leagues  of 
previously  undiscovered  coast.  They  had  discovered  and  named  Brent- 
ford Bay,  thirty  miles  beyond  Cape  Garry,  with  several  fine  harbors, 


TERIKSIN.  335 

which  were  named  Ports  Logan,  Elizabeth,  and  Eclipse.  Landing  on 
the  coast  they  took  possession  of  the  country  for  the  British  crown,  and 
named  it  Boothia  Felix,  in  honor  of  the  patron  of  the  expedition,  Sir 
Felix  Booth,  with  Bellot  Strait  on  the  north,  the  Gulf  of  Boothia  on  the 
east,  and  Franklin  Strait  on  the  northwest. 

THE  VICTORY  IN  WINTER  QUARTERS.  \ 

In  what  they  called  by  the  unpoetic  name  of  Mary  Jones  Bay,  they 
found  a  secure  refuge  for  the  ship,  on  the  iyth  of  September,  1829,  only 
118  days  out  from  Woolwich.  To  reach  it,  however,  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  cut  through  the  ice,  and  this  being  done,  they  made  ready  for  win- 
ter. The  steam  machinery  was  entirely  removed,  the  vessel  housed,  and 
every  precaution  adopted  to  secure  the  safety  of  the  vessel  and  the  health 
of  the  men.  They  were  abundantly  supplied  with  necessaries,  and  the 
harbor  was  exceptionally  safe  for  those  latitudes.  Soon  they  were  frozen 
in,  with  huge  masses  of  ice  surrounding  them  to  seaward,  and  the  whole 
landscape  covered  with  snow.  The  thermometer  sank  several  degrees 
below  zero,  and  they  were  fairly  entered  on  an  Arctic  winter,  but  full  of 
hope  and  bright  anticipations  of  what  could  be  done  after  the  usual  nine 
or  ten  months'  detention. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  1830,  they  were  visited  by  an  unusually  large 
tribe  of  Esquimaux,  who  seemed  to  be  cleaner  and  brighter,  as  well  as 
better  dressed,  than  the  others  of  their  race  hitherto  encountered.  They 
were  able  to  draw  for  Ross,  as  others  had  done  elsewhere  for  Parry  and 
Beechey,  fairly  accurate  sketches  of  the  land  and  sea  for  many  miles 
around  Thorn's  Harbor,  now  Felix  Harbor,  where  they  lay.  As  ten 
years  before  Parry  had  found  the  female  Iligliuk  the  most  intelligent  of 
the  Esquimaux  on  Winter  Island,  so  here  the  woman  Teriksin  proved  to 
have  the  clearest  ideas  of  the  configuration  of  the  coast  of  Boothia, 
Felix  and  the  neighboring  lands,  bays  and  inlets.  With  two  of  the  Es- 
quimaux as  guides,  Capt.  Ross,  accompanied  by  Thomas  Blanky,  first 
mate,  set  out  on  the  5th  of  April  to  explore  a  strait  to  the  west,  which  it 
was  hoped  might  prove  a  channel  to  the  Arctic  Ocean.  On  this  jour- 
ney, as  was  afterward  learned,  they  had  approached  within  ten  miles  of 


336 


EXHAUSTED   TEAMS. 


the  point  which  the  younger  Ross  designated  the  ensuing  year  as  the 
magnetic  pole.  But  the  present  party  were  on  an  entirely  different  er- 
rand, and  though  they  discovered  a  lake  and  bay,  and  surveyed  the  coast 
some  sixty  miles  farther  south,  the  expedition  led  to  no  important  re- 
suits.  The  younger  Ross  set  out  on  the  ist  of  May,  and  from  an  emi- 
nence descried  a  large  inlet,  which  promised  an  outlet  to  the  Arctic 
Ocean.  Returning,  he  fitted  out  an  expedition  to  "  consist  of  himself  and 
three  companions,  with  a  sledge  and  eight  dogs,  and  provisions  for  three 
weeks."  These  set  out  on  the  lyth  of  May,  and  encountering  the  lake 
already  referred  to,  and  the  river — which  they  named  Garry — Ross  as- 
cended the  hill  which  he  had  previously  used  for  his  observations,  and 
saw  a  chain  of  lakes  leading  back  almost  to  the  harbor  he  had  left. 
Moving  along  the  shore  of  the  western  inlet,  which  has  since  been 
named  Sir  James  Ross'  Strait,  the  party  reached  Matty  Island,  and  cross- 
ing a  narrow  strait  to  the  west,  landed  on  what  they  believed  was  the 
mainland,  and  called  King  William's  Land,  but  which  the  exploration  of 
Simpson  has  since  shown  to  be  an  island,  separated  from  the  continent 
by  the  strait  called  by  his  name. 

Pushing  north,  their  dogs  became  exhausted,  and  the  men  had  to 
depend  mainly  on  their  own  exertions.  "  When  all  is  ice,"  says  Ross, 
"  and  all  one  dazzling  mass  of  white — when  the  surface  of  the  sea  itself 
is  tossed  up  and  fixed  into  rocks,  while  the  land  is  on  the  contrary,  very 
often  flat — it  is  not  always  so  easy  a  problem  as  it  might  seem  on  a 
superficial  view,  to  determine  a  fact  which  appears  in  words  to  be  ex- 
tremely simple."  But  despite  exhaustion  of  dogs  and  men  he  kept  on 
to  the  north,  and  on  the  2pth  reached  the  most  northern  point  of  King 
William's  Land,  and  named  it  Cape  Felix.  Here  he  beheld  the  wide 
expanse  of  sea  now  known  as  McClintock  Channel,  extending  away  to 
the  northwest,  and  to  the  southwest  the  narrower  channel  now  called 
Victoria  Strait.  Proceeding  along  the  latter  they  arrived  on  the  3Oth  at 
a  headland  which  Ross  named  Point  Victory,  and  to  another  which  he 
saw  in  the  distance,  he  gave  the  name  of  Cape  Franklin.  They  were 
about  two  hundred  miles  distant  from  Felix  Harbor,  with  only  a  few 
days'  provisions  left,  and  it  became  necessary  to  return  at  once.  They 


LADT  MELVILLE  LAKE.  337 

erected  the  usual  cairn,  depositing  a  record  of  their  experience  and  prog- 
ress, and  turned  their  faces  to  the  east,  with  some  misgivings  that  they 
had  already  gone  too  far  for  their  resources.  This  proved  to  be  the  case, 
for,  though  the  men  survived,  they  lost  six  of  the  dogs,  and  were  them- 
selves almost  exhausted  and  helpless,  when  they  had  the  good  fortune  to 
fall  in  with  some  Esquimaux  on  the  8th  of  June.  Hospitably  enter- 
tained and  supplied  with  a  store  of  fish  by  these  poor  children  of  the 
frozen  north,  they  rested  one  day  among  them,  and  reached  the  ship  on 
the  1 3th,  having  been  absent  four  weeks  instead  of  three.  Capt.  Ross 
had  meanwhile  surveyed  Boothia  Isthmus,  and  discovered  another  large 
body  of  fresh  water,  which  he  named  Lady  Melville  Lake. 

To  their  surprise  and  disappointment  they  were  unable  to  leave  their 
winter  quarters  until  the  very  anniversary  of  their  entrance  therein,  it 
being  the  yth  of  September,  1830,  when  they  were  set  free.  Advancing 
only  three  miles  in  six  days,  they  were  again  frozen  in  on  the  23d  of 
September;  and  the  remainder  of  the  month  and  the  whole  of  October 
were  consumed  in  getting  her  into  secure  quarters.  Here  another 
dreary  winter  had  to  be  passed,  and  as  a  precautionary  measure,  it  was 
deemed  prudent  by  Capt.  Ross  to  reduce  the  allowance  of  provisions. 
The  winter  proved  exceptionally  severe,  the  thermometer  going  down 
on  some  occasions  as  low  as  92°  below  the  freezing  point,  or  60°  below 
zero.  Some  surveys  and  local  explorations  were  made  in  the  spring 
of  1831,  but  the  most  important  expedition  was  the  one  in  relation  to 
the  Magnetic  Pole. 

DISCOVERY  OF  THE  NORTH  MAGNETIC  POLE. 

The  scientists  of  Europe  had  ascertained  by  theory  and  experiment 
that  the  north  magnetic  pole  would  be  found  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  where  the  Victory  was  now  laid  up,  or  about  70°  north, 
by  98°  30'  west.  The  younger  Ross,  afterward  known  as  Sir  James 
Ross,  availed  himself  of  the  opportunity  now  furnished  by  their  enforced 
stay  in  Felix  Harbor  to  make  the  observations  and  calculations  necessary 
to  determine  its  exact  location.  The  expedition  set  out  toward  the  end 

of  May,  1831,  it  having  been  previously   ascertained  that  they  were  not 
22 


338  DISCOVERT  OF  MAGNETIC  POLE. 

far  distant  from  the  desired  point.  The  weather  had  turned  stormy ;  but 
their  zeal  took  small  notice  of  the  change,  and  they  hurried  forward 
toward  the  place  indicated  by  Ross'  calculations.  On  the  3 1  st  they  were 
within  about  fourteen  miles  of  it;  and  on  the  next  morning,  leaving  their 
baggage  and  provisions  on  the  beach  where  they  had  camped,  they  ar- 
rived at  the  spot  at  eight  o'clock.  "The  place  of  the  observation,"  says 
Ross,  "was  as  near  to  the  magnetic  pole  as  the  limited  means  which  I 
possessed  enabled  me  to  determine.  The  amount  of  the  dip,  as  indi- 
cated by  my  dipping-needle,  was  89°  59',  being  thus  within  one  minute 
of  the  vertical;  while  the  proximity  at  least  of  this  pole,  if  not  its  actual 
existence  where  we  stood,  was  further  confirmed  by  the  action,  or  rather 
by  the  total  inaction  of  the  several  horizontal  needles  then  in  my  pos- 
session. These  were  suspended  in  the  most  delicate  manner  possible, 
but  there  was  not  one  which  showed  the  slightest  effort  to  move  from 
the  position  in  which  it  was  placed."  The  very  force  which  attracts  mil- 
lions of  free  compass-needles  all  over  the  northern  hemisphere  in  its  di- 
rection, was  here  inactive.  The  corresponding  South  Pole  of  terrestrial 
magnetism  has  been  computed  to  be  at  66°  south  latitude,  and  146° 
east  longitude — not  diametrically  opposite  therefore,  as  the  geographical 
poles  of  the  earth  are.  The  famous  German  mathematician,  Gauss,  com- 
puted that  the  theoretic  location  of  the  north  magnetic  pole,  in  1831, 
should  have  been  three  degrees  farther  north;  but  the  point  determined 
by  Ross  differed  only  eleven  minutes  from  Parry's  calculations. 

"  As  soon, "  says  Ross,  "as  I  had  satisfied  my  own  mind  on  the  sub- 
ject, I  made  known  to  the  party  this  gratifying  result  of  our  joint  labors; 
and  it  was  then  that,  amidst  mutual  congratulations,  we  fixed  the  British 
flag  on  the  spot  and  took  possession  of  the  North  Magnetic  Pole  and  its 
adjoining  territory  in  the  name  of  Great  Britain  and  King  William  IV. 
We  had  abundance  of  materials  for  building,  in  the  fragments  of  lime- 
stone that  covered  the  beach,  and  we  therefore  erected  a  cairn  of  some 
magnitude,  under  which  we  buried  a  canister  containing  a  record  of  the 
interesting  fact,  only  regretting  that  we  had  not  the  means  of  construct- 
ing a  pyramid  of  more  importance,  and  of  strength  sufficient  to  with- 
stand the  assaults  of  time  and  of  the  Esquimaux.  Had  it  been  a  pyra- 


SLOW  SAILING.  339 

mid  as  large  as  that  of  Cheops,  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  it  would  have 
done  more  than  satisfy  our  ambition  under  the  feelings  of  that  exciting 
day.  The  latitude  of  this  spot  is  70°  5'  17",  and  its  longitude  96°  46' 
45"  west. 

"  The  land  at  this  place  is  very  low  near  the  coast,  but  it  rises  into 
ridges  fifty  or  sixty  feet  high,  about  a  mile  inland.  We  could  have 
wished  that  a  place  so  important  had  possessed  more  of  mark  or  note. 
It  was  scarcely  censurable  to  regret  that  there  was  not  a  mountain  to  in- 
dicate a  spot  to  which  so  much  of  interest  must  ever  be  attached ;  and  I 
could  even  have  pardoned  any  one  among  us  who  had  been  so  romantic 
or  absurd  as  to  expect  that  the  Magnetic  Pole  was  an  object  as  conspic- 
uous and  mysterious  as  the  fabled  mountain  of  Sinbad,  that  it  was  even 
a  mountain  of  iron,  or  a  magnet  as  large  as  Mont  Blanc.  But  nature 
had  here  erected  no  monument  to  denote  the  spot  which  she  had  chosen 
as  the  center  of  one  of  her  great  and  dark  powers,  and  where  we  could 
do  little  ourselves  toward  this  end." 

Leaving  the  magnetic  pole,  and  the  abandoned  Esquimaux  huts 
which  they  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  there  ready  for  use  on  their 
arrival,  they  set  out  for  the  ship.  Blinded  by  snowstorms  their  progress 
was  slow  and  difficult,  but  they  reached  the  harbor  in  safety  after  an 
absence  of  twenty-eight  days.  The  reader  should  bear  in  mind  that  the 
magnetic  poles  are  variable  points,  not  fixed  positions,  as  was  supposed  at 
the  time  of  the  discovery  of  the  northern  one  by  Ross.  Arrived  at  the 
ship,  they  were  detained  some  weeks  longer  in  winter  quarters;  but  after 
an  imprisonment  of  eleven  months  since  their  futile  attempt  to  escape  on 
the  previous  year,  they  succeeded  on  the  28th  of  August,  1831,  in  working 
the  Victory  into  open  water.  On  the  29th  they  set  sail  in  the  vain 
effort  to  push  through  the  ice,  but  found  the  task  impracticable.  By 
continued  exertions  for  a  whole  month  they  had  won  only  four  miles; 
and  were  again  frozen  in  on  the  27th  of  September,  in  what  they  might 
appropriately  have  named  Infelix  (Unhappy)  Harbor.  Seven  miles  in 
two  years  was  such  hopeless  progress  that  the  distant  hills  of  their  native 
land  must  have  seemed  beyond  their  reach  forever.  But  the  brave  man 
looks  at  the  impossible  as  calmly  as  he  may,  and  turns  his  attention  else- 


340  ABANDONMENT  OF  THE    VICTORY. 

where.  It  was  therefore  determined  that  on  the  return  of  spring  their 
energies  should  be  directed  to  effecting  their  escape  in  another  way.  It 
was  recollected  that  on  the  beach  where  the  Fury  had  been  abandoned 
by  Parry,  and  where  they  had,  it  will  be  remembered,  replenished  their 
stores  in  1829,  there  were,  among  the  other  supplies,  several  boats  which 
belonged  to  that  ill-fated  vessel.  It  was  now  designed  that  they  should 
make  the  best  of  their  way  to  that  point,  and  availing  themselves  of  the 
boats,  provisions  and  supplies  there  to  be  found,  make  an  effort  to  reach 
the  whaling  grounds  in  Baffin's  Bay,  and  thus  return,  if  it  might  be,  to 
their  native  land.  It  was  a  great  and  arduous  undertaking,  but  not  quite 
as  hopeless  as  the  attempt  to  extricate  the  Victory  had  been.  It  was  a 
chance  for  life  and  liberty,  and  was  worth  striving  for. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  1832,  they  entered  on  the  task.  Having  collected 
the  necessary  supplies,  they  set  out  to  remove  them  over  the  ice.  "  The 
loads  being  too  heavy  to  be  carried  at  once,  made  it  necessary  to  go 
backward  and  forward  twice,  and  even  oftener,  the  same  day.  They 
had  to  encounter  dreadful  tempests  of  snow  and  drift,  and  to  make  sev- 
eral circuits  in  order  to  avoid  impassable  barriers.  The  result  was  that 
by  the  12th  of  May  they  had  traveled  329  miles  to  gain  thirty  in  a 
direct  line."  This  preliminary  work  having  been  laboriously  executed, 
they  returned  to  the  ship,  and  on  the  29th  of  May  took  their  final  leave 
of  her.  The  colors  of  the  Victory  were  formally  hoisted  and  nailed  to 
the  mast;  the  officers  and  men  left  her,  and  last  of  all,  the  commander 
bade  her  adieu.  «  It  was,"  he  says,  "  the  first  vessel  that  I  had  ever  been 
obliged  to  abandon,  after  having  served  in  thirty-six  during  a  period  of 
forty-two  years.  It  was  like  the  last  parting  with  an  old  friend,  and  I 
did  not  pass  the  point  where  she  ceased  to  be  visible  without  stopping  to 
take  a  sketch  of  this  melancholy  desert,  rendered  more  melancholy  by 
the  solitary,  abandoned,  helpless  home  of  our  past  years,  fixed  in  immov- 
able ice  till  time  should  perform  on  her  his  usual  work." 

On  the  9th  of  June  James  Ross,  with  two  companions  and  provisions 
for  two  weeks,  struck  ahead  of  the  main  body  to  ascertain  how  matters 
then  stood  at  Fury  Beach.  Fortunately,  though  some  of  the  boats  had 
been  washed  away  since  1829,  there  were  still  enough  left  for  their  pur- 


TENTING  ON  FURT  BEACH.  341 

pose,  and  the  provisions  had  remained  uninjured.  Rejoining  the  main 
body  on  the  25th  they  hastened  forward  and  reached  their  immediate 
goal  on  the  ist  of  July.  They  erected  a  large  tent  which  they  named 
Somerset  House,  and  began  to  put  the  boats  in  readiness. 

On  the  ist  of  August  they  took  to  the  boats,  a  considerable  expanse 
of  open  water  being  available  for  their  northern  progress.  They,  how- 
ever, as  was  expected,  encountered  many  obstacles  from  the  ice,  but 
slowly  and  cautiously  they  threaded  their  way  amidst  the  dangerous  floes 
and  packs,  reaching  the  northern  entrance  of  Prince  Regent  Inlet  by 
the  close  of  the  month.  Arrived  there,  further  progress  was  barred  by 
the  impenetrable  masses  of  ice  which  encumbered  its  entrance  and  the 
adjoining  portion  of  Barrow's  Strait.  They  were  obliged  to  haul  their 
boats  ashore  and  await  a  more  favorable  opportunity.  The  tents  were 
pitched,  and  Barrow's  Strait  was  scrutinized  day  by  day,  but  it  refused 
to  yield  them  an  opening.  After  watching  nearly  three  weeks  for  the 
chance  that  it  seemed  would  never  come,  with  their  provisions  running 
low,  and  starvation  staring  them  in  the  face  should  they  remain,  it  was 
decided  to  turn  their  backs  once  more  on  England,  and  go  back  to 
Fury  Beach,  where  at  least  an  abundance  of  provisions  for  their  small 
party  could  still  be  found.  They  reached  Batty  Bay,  about  half  way 
on  the  return  voyage,  in  the  boats,  when  their  further  progress  by 
water  was  stopped  by  the  ice.  An  overland  trip  to  Somerset  House  was 
a  repetition  of  the  labors  of  the  spring,  but  it  was  safely  accomplished 
in  twelve  days,  and  on  the  yth  of  October  they  were  again  housed  in 
the  capacious  tent  on  Fury  Beach. 

To  make  this  refuge  tenantable  during  the  approaching  winter, 
they  built  a  wall  of  snow  four  feet  thick  all  around,  and  placed  a  board 
roof  overhead  to  receive  a  deep  covering  of  the  same.  Stoves  were 
found  among  the  abundant  stores  of  the  Fury,  and  by  their  help  this 
extemporized  habitation  was  made  -fairly  comfortable.  They  got  along 
very  well  until  the  increasing  seventy  of  the  weather  and  the  intense 
cold  confined  them  indoors,  when  scurvy  began  to  appear.  On  Feb. 
1 6,  1833,  Mr.  Thomas,  the  carpenter,  died,  and  two  others  soon  fol- 
lowed. "  Their  situation  was  becoming  truly  awful,  since,  if  they  were 


342  A  SHIP  IN  SIGHT. 

not  liberated  the  ensuing  summer,  little  prospect  appeared  of  their  sur- 
viving another  year.  It  was  necessary  to  make  a  reduction  in  the  allow- 
ance of  preserved  meats;  bread  was  somewhat  deficient,  and  the  stock  of 
wine  and  spirits  was  entirely  exhausted.  However,  as  they  caught  a  few 
foxes,  which  were  considered  a  delicacy,  and  there  was  plenty  of  flour, 
sugar,  soups  and  vegetables,  a  diet  could  be  easily  arranged  sufficient  to 
support  the  party."  While  the  ice  remained  firm,  it  was  deemed  advisa- 
ble to  remove  such  provisions  as  they  were  not  likely  to  need  to  Batty 
Bay,  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  summer  expedition  to  the  north.  The 
distance  was  but  thirty-two  miles,  yet  it  took  a  month  with  the  reduced 
force  to  make  the  transfer,  most  of  them  going  over  the  ground  eight 
times. 

They  left  Somerset  House  once  more  on  the  8th  of  July,  and  on  the 
1 2th  were  encamped  at  Batty  Bay,  only  to  repeat  the  tedious  operation 
of  watching  for  the  opening  of  the  waters,  as  on  the  previous  year  at 
Barrow's  Strait.  Thirty-three  days'  patient  scrutiny  was  rewarded  by 
the  discovery  of  a  lane  into  which  they  could  venture  with  some  hope  of 
reaching  the  head  of  the  inlet.  On  the  I5th  of  August  they  took  to  the 
boats,  and  with  patient  skill  and  energy,  though  the  sea  was  for  the  most 
part  encumbered  with  ice,  they  reached  Barrow's  Strait  two  days  later. 
Here  an  agreeable  surprise  awaited  them ;  for  where  the  year  before  the 
most  tortuous  egress  was  found  impracticable,  this  year,  though  only  two 
weeks  earlier  in  the  season,  an  open  sea  greeted  them  on  every  side. 
Pushing  east  they  approached  Cape  York,  and  a  week  later  reached  a 
safe  harbor  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Navy  Board  Inlet. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th,  at  4  o'clock — none  too  early  for  such 
joyful  news — they  were  awakened  from  their  heavy  and  almost  hopeless 
slumbers  to  learn  that  a  ship  was  in  sight.  Quick  as  men  escaping  from 
imminent  peril,  they  jumped  to  their  oars,  but  the  vessel  disappeared  in 
the  haze  before  they  could  reach  her,.or  attract  the  attention  of  those  on 
board.  And  now  the  revulsion  of  feeling  was  fast  sinking  into  despair, 
when  a  few  hours  later  they  had  the  good  fortune  to  sight  another  vessel 
lying  in  a  calm.  Hurriedly  and  energetically  rowing  toward  her  with 
their  eyes  fixed  in  a  steady  gaze  on  the  glad  vision,  and  their  hearts 


THE  RESCUE.  343 

wavering  between  hope  and  fear,  they  soon  reached  the  stately  ship, 
which  proved  to  be  the  Isabella  of  Hull,  now  a  whaler,  but  fifteen  years 
before,  the  ship  in  which  Ross  made  his  first  Arctic  voyage.  Her  captain 
and  crew  could  with  difficulty  be  persuaded  that  their  guests  were  what 
they  represented  themselves  to  be — Capt.  Ross  and  his  party  of  Arctic 
explorers — for  had  they  not  been  reported  dead  two  years  before?  It 
was  a  queer  story,  and  one  with  which  it  was  useless  to  try  to  deceive 
the  honest  whalers. 

English,  they  were,  of  course;  any  one  could  see  that,  despite  their 
woe-begone  and.  weather-beaten  appearance,  and  the  hospitality  of  the 
Isabella  should  be  gladly  extended  to  them ;  but  Capt.  Ross  and  his 
party  were  dead  and  gone,  alas!  never  more  to  be  seen  in  the  flesh,  on 
water  or  on  land !  With  such  demonstration  as  it  was  in  their  power  to 
give,  the  new-comers  soon  dispelled  the  doubts  and  misgivings  of  their 
countrymen,  and  as  soon  as  it  became  clear  to  them  that  they  were 
indeed  the  same  who  had  been  mourned  for  in  England  as  dead,  the 
rigging  was  quickly  manned  to  do  them  honor,  and  with  three  hearty 
cheers  Ross  and  his  party  were  formally  welcomed  on  board  the  Isabella. 
"  Though  we  had  not  been  supported  by  our  names  and  characters," 
says  Ross,  "  we  should  not  the  less  have  claimed  from  charity  the  atten- 
tions that  we  received;  for  never  were  seen  a  more  miserable  set  of 
wretches.  Unshaven  since  I  know  not  when,  dirty,  dressed  in  the  rags 
of  wild  beasts,  and  starved  to  the  very  bones,  our  gaunt  and  grim  looks, 
when  contrasted  with  those  of  the  well-dressed  and  well-fed  men  around 
us,  made  us  all  feel — I  believe  for  the  first  time — what  we  really  were,  as 
well  as  what  we  seemed  to  others.  But  the  ludicrous  soon  took  the  place 
of  all  other  feelings;  in  such  a  crowd  and  such  confusion,  all  serious 
thought  was  impossible,  while  the  new  buoyancy  of  our  spirits  made  us 
abundantly  willing  to  be  amused  by  the  scene  which  now  opened.  Every 
man  was  hungry,  and  was  to  be  fed ;  all  were  ragged,  and  were  to  be 
clothed ;  there  was  not  one  to  whom  washing  was  not  indispensable,  nor  one 
whqm  his  beard  did  not  deprive  of  all  human  semblance.  All — everything, 
too,  was  to  be  done  at  once;  it  was  washing, dressing, shaving, eating,  all 
intermingled.  It  was  all  the  materials  of  each  jumbled  together,  while 


344  HONORS  IN  ENGLAND. 

in  the  midst  of  all  there  were  interminable  questions  to  be  asked  and 
answered  on  both  sides;  the  adventures  of  the  Victory,  our  own  escapes, 
the  politics  of  England,  and  the  news  which  was  now  four  years  old. 
But  all  subsided  into  peace  at  last.  The  sick  were  accommodated,  the 
seamen  disposed  of,  and  all  was  done  for  us  which  care  and  kindness 
could  perform.  Night  at  length  brought  quiet  and  serious  thought,  and 
I  trust  there  was  not  a  man  among  us  who  did  not  then  express  where 
it  was  due,  his  gratitude  for  that  interposition  which  had  raised  us  all 
from  a  despair  which  none  could  now  forget,  and  had  brought  us  from 
the  borders  of  a  most  distant  grave,  to  life,  and  friends,  and  civilization. 
Long  accustomed,  however,  to  a  cold  bed  on  the  hard  snow,  or  the  bare 
rocks,  few  could  sleep  amid  the  comforts  of  our  new  accommodations. 
I  was  myself  compelled  to  leave  the  bed  which  had  been  kindly  assigned 
me,  and  take  my  abode  in  a  chair  for  the  night;  nor  did  it  fare  much 
better  with  the  rest.  It  was  for  time  to  reconcile  us  to  this  sudden  change, 
to  break  through  what  had  become  habit,  and  to  inure  us  once  more  to 
the  usages  of  our  former  days." 

The  Isabella  prosecuted  her  fishing  for'  five  weeks  longer,  and  did 
not  set  out  on  her  return  until  the  3Oth  of  September.  They  made  the 
Orkneys  on  the  I2th,  and  Hull  on  the  i8th  of  October,  where  the  free- 
dom of  the  city  was  bestowed  on  Capt.  Ross,  and  he  and  his  men  were 
entertained  .at  the  public  expense.  On  the  I9th  he  set  out  for  London  to 
report  to  the  admiralty,  and  was  soon  presented  to  the  king  at  Windsor. 
London,  Liverpool,  and  Bristol  followed  the  example  of  Hull  in  bestow- 
ing the  freedom  of  the  respective  cities  on  Capt.  Ross.  The  officers  and 
men  received  the  customary  double  pay  allowed  to  Arctic  explorers,  up 
to  the  date  of  abandoning  the  ship,  and  the  regular  pay  thereafter.  By 
a  vote  of  parliament  in  1834,  Capt.  Ross  received  a  grant  of  $25,000, 
and  was  raised  by  the  king  to  the  dignity  of  a  Knight  Companion  of  the 
Bath.  Other  honors  followed  from  various  quarters,  foreign  and  domes- 
tic, and  in  1835  he  published  "Residence  in  Arctic  Regions,"  etc., — an 
account  of  his  second  voyage.  In  1851  he  was  created  a  rear-admiral, 
and  died  in  1856.  James  C.  Ross  was  raised  from  the  rank  of  com- 
mander to  that  of  captain,  and  was  soon  after  engaged  in  the  magnetic 


AN  ANTARCTIC  EXPEDITION. 


345 


survey  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  In  1836  he  made  a  voyage  lo 
Baffin's  Bay  for  the  relief  of  the  frozen  whalers  of  that  year;  and  in 
1839-43  was  *n  command  of  an  Antarctic  expedition,  in  which  he  reached 
within  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  of  the  South  Magnetic  Pole,  and  on 
the  return  from  which  he  received  the  honor  of  knighthood.  In  1847  he 
published  his  "Voyage  of  Discovery  in  Southern  Seas,  1839-43."  ^e 
will  again  come  before  the  reader  as  one  of  the  searchers  for  Sir  John 
Franklin,  in  1848. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

BACK'S  ARCTIC  JOURNEY — LEAVES  LIVERPOOL — FORT  RESOLUTION — 

GREAT    FISH    RIVER AN    ARCTIC    RESIDENCE AKAITCHO A 

SLEDGE-JOURNEY  PASSING      RAPIDS  CAPE     RICHARDSON  - 

VOYAGE  IN   THE   TERROR THE   TERROR  NIPPED  IN   THE   ICE — 

IMPRISONED — A  MASQUERADE INCREASE  OF  LEAKAGE FREE 

AGAIN.  . 

When  Ross  had  been  gone  three  years  on  his  second  voyage  without 
any  tidings  reaching  England,  his  countrymen  became  solicitous  about 
his  fate.  Dr.  Richardson  first  called  public  attention  to  the  matter,  and 
volunteered  his  services.  As  the  expedition  of  Ross  was  not  under  gov- 
ernment auspices,  a  sufficient  justification  of  the  expense  to  be  incurred 
would  be  found  in  the  proposed  survey  of  a  portion  of  the  unexplored 
coast  of  North  America.  His  project  was  to  strike  out  from  Hudson's 
Bay  by  the  northwestern  route  to  Coronation  Gulf,  where  he  was  to 
commence  his  search  for  the  missing  ship,  proceeding  in  an  easterly  di- 
rection to  Melville  Peninsula,  thus  completing  the  survey  from  the  Re- 
turn Reef  of  Franklin,  to  the  Fury  and  Hecla  Strait,  of  Parry.  The 
proposition  was  favorably  received  by  the  authorities,  but  no  'action  was 
taken,  the  ministry  of  that  period  being  too  much  pre-occupied  with  the 
intense  political  activities  which  then  prevailed  in  England. 

In  November,  1832,  a  public  meeting  was  called  at  London,  to  set 
6n  foot  a  popular  subscription  to  fit  out  a  private  expedition  for  the  re- 
lief of  Ross.  Twenty  thousand  dollars  were  thus  raised,  to  which  the 
government,  at  the  suggestion  of  Lord  Goderich — afterward  Earl  ot 
Ripon,  at  the  time  colonial  Secretary  of  State — added  ten  thousand. 
Capt.  Back,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  already  made  two  over- 
land journeys  to  the  coast  of  North  America  in  company  with  Franklin 

and   Richardson,  offered   his    services,  which  were  projnptly  accepted. 

346 


LEFT  LIVERPOOL.  347 

He  at  once  set  about  his  preparations,  and  to  facilitate  the  execution  of 
his  plans,  he  was  formally  commissioned  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
and  received  instructions  from  the  colonial  office.  Accompanied  by  Dr. 
Richard  King  as  naturalist,  and  three  men  who  had  been  with  him  and 
Franklin  in  1825,  Back  left  Liverpool  for  New  York  on  the  i  yth  of  Feb- 
ruary t  1833,  arriving  in  safety  by  one  of  the  regular  packet  ships  after  a 
stormy  voyage  of  thirty-five  days.  Proceeding  to  Montreal,  he  was 
joined  by  four  volunteers  from  the  royal  artillery,  and  engaged  some 
French  Canadians  as  boatmen  and  porters.  They  set  out  in  two  canoes 
on  the  25th  of  April,  and  lost  two  men  by  desertion  on  the  Ottawa 
River.  Reaching  Norway  House,  a  post  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  at 
the  northern  extremity  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  Back  made  his  final  prepara- 
tions, and  set  out  from  that  point  on  the  28th  of  June,  to  continue  the 
overland  trip  to  the  northwest.  At  Pine  Portage  he  was  joined  by  an 
employe  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  deputed  by  Gov.  Simpson  for 
that  purpose.  His  name  was  A.  R.  McLeod,  and  he  had  just  returned 
from  the  MacKenzie  River  with  a  valuable  cargo  of  furs.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  his  wife,  three  children  and  a  servant,  all  of  whom  were 
now  joined  to  Back's  party.  They  arrived  at  Ft.  Chipewyan,  on  the 
western  end  of  Lake  Athabasca,  the  2oth  of  July;  and  at  Ft.  Resolution, 
on  Great  Slave  Lake,  the  8th  of  August.  Back  thus  describes  his  imme- 
diate surroundings  in  camp  at  Ft.  Resolution : 

"At  my  feet  was  a  rolled  bundle  in  oil-cloth,  containing  some  three 
blankets,  called  a  bed;  near  it  a  piece  of  dried  buffalo,  fancifully  or- 
namented with  long  black  hairs,  which  no  art,  alas !  can  prevent  from 
insinuating  themselves  between  the  teeth,  as  you  laboriously  masticate 
the  tough,  hard  flesh ;  then  a  tolerably  clean  napkin,  spread  by  way  of 
tablecloth,  on  a  red  piece  of  canvas,  and  supporting  a  teapot,  some  bis- 
cuits, and  a  salt-cellar;  near  this  a  tin  plate;  close  by  a  square  kind  of 
box  or  safe  of  the  same  material,  rich  with  a  pale,  greasy  hair,  the  prod- 
uce of  the  colony  at  Red  River;  and  the  last,  the  far  renowned  pem mi- 
can,  unquestionably  the  best  food  of  the  country  for  such  expeditions  as 
ours.  Behind  me  were  two  boxes  containing  astronomical  instruments, 
and  a  sextant  lying  on  the  ground,  while  the  different  corners  of  the  tent 


348  AT  FORT  RESOLUTION. 

were  occupied  by  a  washing  apparatus,  a  gun,  an  Indian  shot-pouch, 
bags,  basins,  and  an  unhappy  looking  japanned  pot,  whose  melancholy 
bumps  and  hollows  seemed  to  reproach  me  for  many  a  bruise  endured 
upon  the  rocks  and  portages  between  Montreal  and  Lake  Winnipeg. 
Nor  were  my  crew  less  motley  than  the  furniture  of  the  tent.  It  con- 
sisted of  an  Englishman,  a  man  from  Stornaway,  two  Canadians,  two 
metifs  or  half-breeds,  and  three  Iroquois  Indians.  Babel  could  not  have 
produced  a  worse  confusion  of  inharmonious  sounds  than  was  the  con- 
versation they  kept  up." 

Here  Back  separated  from  McLeod  and  his  family,  five  of  his  men 
being  detailed  to  accompany  them,  while  with  the  other  four  he  pushed 
forward  to  the  northeast  in  search  of  the  upper  waters  of  the  Thlew-ee- 
Choh,  or  Great  Fish  River  of  the  North.  On  Aug.  19  they  began  the 
ascent  of  the  series  of  rapids  and  waterfalls  which  form  the  Hoar  Frost 
River;  and  on  the  2yth — after  eight  days  of  weary  struggle  with  forests, 
swamps,  portages,  streams,  lakelets,  rapids,  and  cascades — Back,  from 
the  summit  of  a  hill,  saw  to  the.  northeast  the  wide  expanse  of  water  now 
known  as  Aylmer  Lake.  Sending  forward  three  men  with  a  canoe  to 
explore  the  connecting  river,  Back  proceeded  to  search  the  vicinity  of 
the  camp,  and  discovered  the  source  of  the  great  river  he  sought,  in 
Sand  Hill,  now  Sussex  Lake.  The  men  returned  on  the  29th,  having 
reached  Aylmer  Lake  on  the  second  day  out;  and  Back  celebrated  his 
discovery  with  them.  "For  this  occasion,"  he  says,  "  I  had  reserved  a 
little  grog,  and  need  hardly  say  with  what  cheerfulness  it  was  shared 
among  the  crew,  whose  welcome  tidings  had  verified  the  notion  of  Dr. 
Richardson  and  myself,  and  thus  placed  beyond  doubt  the  existence  of 
the  Thlew-ee-Choh,  or  Great  Fish  River." 

Attempting  to  push  on  to  the  river  proper  on  the  3oth,  they  found 
the  rapids  of  Musk-ox  Lake  impracticable  with  their  present  equipment, 
and  concluded  to  return  to  Great  Slave  Lake  for  the  winter.  They 
struck  the  lakes  Clinton-Golden  and  Artillery  on  the  return  trip,  and 
abandoning  their  canoe,  set  out  across  the  rugged  and  broken  country 
for  the  appointed  rendezvous.  Climbing  over  precipices  and  picking 
their  way  through  gorges  and  ravines  encumbered  with  masses  of  gran- 


AKAITCHO.  349 

ite,  they  reached  the  extreme  northeast  corner  of  Great  Slave  Lake 
before  the  middle  of  September.  Here  they  found  McLeod  and  his 
party  returned;  and  the  framework  of  a  comfortable  residence  set  up  by 
them.  With  the  increased  help,  it  progressed  rapidly ;  and  here,  on  the 
1 6th,  they  were  joined  by  Dr.  King,  with  two  bateaux  laden  with  sup- 
plies. On  the  5th  of  November  the  house  was  ready  for  occupancy, 
and  they  gladly  exchanged  their  tents  for  its  welcome  shelter.  It  was 
fifty  feet  long  by  thirty  wide,  and  was  divided  into  four  rooms,  besides  a 
central  hall,  where  they  received  their  Indian  visitors.  To  it  was  attached 
a  more  rudely  constructed  kitchen.  It  proved  a  very  severe  winter,  the 
thermometer  descending  to  70°  below  zero,  and  they  were  surrounded 
by  starving  Indians,  whom  they  were  but  little  able  to  assist  from  their 
limited  stores.  Hunting,  their  only  resource,  failed  them,  and  they 
haunted  the  camp  of  the  whites  for  the  occasional  relief  that  could  be 
spared  them.  "  Famine,  with  her  gaunt  and  bony  arm,"  says  Back, 
"  pressed  them  at  every  turn,  withered  their  energies,  and  strewed  them 
cold  and  lifeless  on  the  bosom  of  the  snow.  Often  did  I  share  my 
.own  plate  with  the  children,  whose  helpless  state  and  piteous  cries  were 
peculiarly  distressing;  compassion  for  the  full  grown  may  or  may  not  be 
felt,  but  that  heart  must  be  cased  in  steel  which  is  insensible  to  the  cry 
of  a  child  for  food." 

Akaitcho,  an  Indian  chief  of  the  region  near  Artillery  Lake,  now 
opportunely  made  his  appearance  at  Fort  Reliance,  the  abode  of  Back 
and  his  party,  with  supplies  of  fresh  provisions,  which  enabled  them 
to  give  some  aid  to  the  starving  Indians.  They  also  reduced  their 
own  allowance,  the  officers  contenting  themselves  with  half  a  pound  of 
pemmican  per  day.  The  cold  grew  more  intense,  and  the  hunters  could 
scarcely  handle  their  weapons.  It  was  found  necessary  to  wrap  the 
triggers  in  leather  thongs,  the  pains  arising  from  the  touch  of  cold  steel 
were  so  excruciating.  "  Such,  indeed,  was  the  abstraction  of  heat,"  says 
Back,  "that  with  eight  large  logs  of  dry  wood  on  the  fire,  I  could  not 
get  the  thermometer  higher  than  1 2  °  below  zero.  Ink  and  paint  froze. 
The  sextant  boxes  and  cases  of  seasoned  wood,  principally  fir,  all  split. 
The  skin  of  the  hands  became  dry,  cracked,  and  opened  into  unsightly 


350  NEWS   OF  ROSS. 

Cashes,  which  we  were  obliged  to  anoint  with  grease.  On  one  occasion, 
after  washing  my  face  within  three  feet  of  the  fire,  my  hair  was  actually 
clotted  with  ice  before  I  had  time  to  dry  it."  The  whites  were  now 
themselves  in  danger  of  perishing,  their  hunters  being  unable  to  replen- 
ish their  fast-dwindling  stores;  but  Akaitcho,  with  his  more  hardy  and 
experienced  Indians,  succeeded  in  procuring  considerable  game,  which 
he  freely  shared  with  the  strangers.  "  The  great  chief  trusts  in  us,"  he 
said,  "  and  it  is  better  that  ten  Indians  should  perish,  than  that  one  white 
man  should  perish  through  our  negligence  and  breach  of  faith." 

On  the  1 4th  of  February,  1834,  McLeod   removed  his  family  nearer 
to  the  Indian  hunting  grounds  in  the  hope  of  being  better  able  to  supply 


;  5,u.  ,'.u\  v,l\ii|\iiA\.ai\v,    v   \  ;\        •,...  \   • 

KITCHEN  AT  FORT  RELIANCE. 


their  wants.  Six  of  the  natives  near  his  new  camp  died  of  starvation^ 
and  his  party  were  for  a  time  in  some  danger  of  meeting  the  same  fate. 
On  the  25th  of  April  a  messenger  arrived  at  Fort  Reliance,  to  inform 
Back  of  the  arrival  in  England,  of  Capt.  Ross  and  the  survivors  of  his 
party.  "In  the  fullness  of  our  hearts  we  assembled  together,"  says 
Back,  "and  humbly  offered  up  our  thanks  to  that  merciful  Providence, 
who,  in  the  beautiful  language  of  Scripture,  hath  said:  'Mine  own  will 
I  bring  again,  as  I  did  sometime  from  the  deeps  of  the  sea.'  The 
thoughts  of  so  wonderful  a  preservation  overpowered  for  a  time  the  com- 
mon occurrences  of  life.  We  had  just  sat  down  to  breakfast,  but  our  ap- 
petite was  gone,  and  the  day  was  passed  in  a  feverish  state  of  excitement." 


A  SLEDGE  JOURNET.  351 

Back,  however,  did  not  relax  in  his  preparations  for  exploring  the 
Great  Fish  River,  to  which  he  could  devote  himself  with  the  less  dis- 
traction, now  that  he  was  relieved  from  all  apprehension  about  Ross. 
Having  sent  McLeod  and  his  party  ahead  to  hunt,  with  instructions  to 
make  deposits  of  provisions  at  proper  intervals,  and  having  buried 
at  Fort  Reliance  such  stores  as  they  desired  to  take  along,  Back  set 
out  on  the  yth  of  June,  accompanied  by  Dr.  King,  four  attendants,  and 
an  Indian  guide.  At  Artillery  Lake  he  found  the  boat  builders  he  had 
dispatched  in  advance,  and  the  boats  they  had  constructed.  Taking  the 
best  of  these,  he  fitted  it  with  runners  after  the  manner  of  Parry's  boats 
'in  1827.  They  took  a  fresh  start  on  the  I4th,  with  six  dogs  attached  to 
the  boat-sledge,  but  encountering  severe  snowstorms  and  strong  winds, 
their  progress  was  slow.  On  the  23d  they  found  one  of  McLeod's  de- 
posits containing  a  supply  of  deer  and  musk-ox  flesh,  and  two  days  later, 
a  second — in  all,  eleven  animals.  To  overcome  the  squeamishness  of  the 
men,  Back  ordered  that  his  own  rations  and  those  of  the  officers,  should 
comprise  a  due  share  of  the  objectionable  musk-ox  flesh,  and  impressed 
upon  them  the  necessity  of  combating  their  prejudices,  and  using  with 
thankfulness  such  food  as  the  country  supplied. 

Reaching  Sand  Hill  Lake  on  the  2yth,  they  found  McLeod's  party 
encamped  there ;  and  the  next  day,  after  a  short  portage  of  only  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile,  the  boat  was  launched  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Great 
Fish  River.  They  soon  reached  Back's  limit  of  the  preceding  year,  and 
having  successfully  accomplished  the  long  portage  of  four  miles  beyond, 
Back  made  his  final  dispositions  before  proceeding  to  descend  the  river. 
He  directed  McLeod  with  ten  men  and  fourteen  dogs  to  return  to  Fort 
Resolution  to  take  charge  of  the  supplies  to  be  forwarded  to  that  point 
by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company;  to  select  a  permanent  fishing  station, 
and  erect  a  suitable  building;  and  to  return  by  the  middle  of  September 
to  the  Great  Fish  River  to  afford  such  assistance  as  might  be  required  by 
the  exploring  party  on  its  return  from  the  north.  The  carpenters,  with 
an  Iroquois  guide,  were  sent  a  day  or  two  later  to  join  McLeod ;  and  on 
the  8th  of  July  Back,  accompanied  by  ten  persons,  took  his  departure  in 
the  boat,  with  3,360  pounds  of  provisions  for  the  round  trip. 


352  PASSING  RAPIDS. 

Now  began  a  series  of  remarkable  feats  of  dexterity  and  courage. 
Rapid  after  rapid  had  to  be  passed,  always  with  elements  of  danger,  and 
often  bristling  with  chances  of  disaster.  For  about  a  hundred  miles  they 
had  the  exciting  alternations  of  cascades  and  rapids  in  quick  succession. 
In  many  of  these  a  slight  miscalculation,  or  what  in  other  circumstances 
would  be  a  trifling  negligence,  would  have  proved  fatal ;  but  the  skill 
and  quick  dexterity  of  the  men  was  never  at  fault,  and  the  boat  was 
safely  guided  through  the  most  precipitous  rapids.  Sometimes  it  was 
necessary  to  unload  her,  and  carry  the  provisions  ahead  to  be  again  put 
aboard  as  soon  as  the  plunge  was  successfully  made.  At  one  time,  where 
the  river  trends  to  the  south,  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  conduct  them  to 
Chesterfield  Inlet  and  Hudson's  Bay,  but  soon  it  again  turned  to  the 
north,  and  there  remained  no  doubt  that  it  was  the  Great  Fish  River. 
After  a  time  they  reached  the  wide  expansions  which  Back  successively 
named  Lakes  Pelly,  Garry,  Macdougall  and  Franklin.  On  the  28th  of 
July  they  fell  in  with  a  tribe  of  thirty-five  Esquimaux,  who  proved  of 
great  service  to  them  in  making  the  last  long  portage,  worn  out  as  they 
were  by  their  previous  labors.  Back  descried  in  the  distance  the  head- 
land at  the  mouth,  which  he  named  Victoria,  and  concluded  that  he  had 
at  length  reached  the  estuary  of  the  river. 

"  This,  then,"  says  he,  "  may  be  considered  as  the  mouth  of  the 
Thlevv-ee-Choh,  which,  after  a  violent  and  tortuous  course  of  530  geo- 
graphical miles,  running  through  an  iron-ribbed  country,  without  a  single 
tree  on  the  whole  line  of  its  banks,  expanding  into  five  large  lakes,  with 
clear  horizon,  most  embarrassing  to  the  navigator,  and  broken  into  falls, 
cascades  and  rapids,  to  the  number  of  eighty-three  in  the  whole,  pours  its 
water 'into  the  Polar  Sea,  in  latitude  67°  n'  N.,  and  longitude  94°  30' 
W.,  that  is  to  say,  about  thirty-seven  miles  more  south  than  the  Copper- 
mine River,  and  nineteen  miles  more  south  than  Back's  River  (of 
Franklin),  at  the  lower  extremity  of  Bathurst's  Inlet,"  which  opens 
south  from  Coronation  Gulf.  Pushing  forward  along  the  eastern  shore 
of  the  estuary  with  great  difficulty,  without  fire,  and  almost  without 
water,  in  cold,  foggy  weather,  tramping  through  slush  and  snow,  they 
reached,  in  ten  days,  68°  13'  57"  by  94°  58'  i",  which  Back  concluded 


VOTAGE  IN  THE   TERROR.  353 

• 

to  make  the  limit  of  his  exploration.  Across  the  estuary  to  the  north- 
west he  saw  a  headland  at  68°  46'  by  96°  20',  he  named  Cape  Richard- 
son, having  before  named  Capes  Beaufort  and  Hay  on  the  eastern  side. 
Returning,  five  weeks  were  consumed  in  ascending  the  river  to 
Sand  Hill  Lake,  where  they  arrived  Sept.  16,  and  found  McLeod  await- 
ing them  with  much  needed  supplies,  as  many  of  their  provision  depots 
had  been  rifled  by  the  wolves.  On  the  24th  they  fell  in  with  some  In- 
dians,- and  soon  after  abandoned  their  boat  because  of  the  difficulty  of 
the  ascent,  taking  their  provisions  on  their  backs,  about  seventy-five 
pounds  to  each.  On  the  2yth  they  reached  their  old  quarters  at  Ft.  Re- 
liance, "truly  grateful  for  the  manifold  mercies  they  had  experienced  in 

the  course  of  their  long  and  perilous  journey,"  after   an  absence  of   112 

• 
days  on  the  part  of  Back  and  his  immediate  attendants.    All  but  six  were 

sent  with  McLeod  to  the  fishing  station  he  had  selected,  and  Parry's 
small  party  settled  for  the  winter,  the  monotony  of  which  was  relieved 
by  hunting  and  occasional  visits  from  Akaitcho  and  other  Indians. 

On  the  2  ist  of  March,  1835,  leaying  Dr.  King  with  instructions  to 
proceed  to  York  Factory,  on  Hudson  Bay,  when  the  season  opened, 
there  to  take  ship  for  England  with  his  companions,  Back  set  out  to  re- 
trace the  overland  route  to  Canada.  He  visited  McLeod  and  party  at 
the  fishery,  and  arrived  at  Norway  House,  on  Lake  Winnipeg,  on  the 
24th.  Here  his  accounts  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  were  ad- 
justed, and  he  pushed  forward  through  Canada  to  New  York,  whence 
he  sailed  to  England,  arriving  at  Liverpool  on  the  8th  of  September, 
1835,  after  an  absence  of  two  years  and  seven  months,  less  nine  days.  A 
month  later  Dr.  King  and  the  others  of  the  party  arrived  in  England  by 
one  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  ships.  Back  was  awarded  the  gold 
medal  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  and  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
post-captain  in  the  navy.  The  river  he  discovered  was  afterward  called 
by  his  name,  without,  however,  entirely  losing  its  older  designation. 

BACK'S  VOYAGE  IN  THE  TERROR. 

At  the  instigation  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  Capt.  Back 
undertook  a  voyage  of  exploration,  or  survey,  mainly  to  supply  some 
33 


354  NIPPED  IN   THE  ICE. 

missing  links  in  the  chain  of  former  discoveries  in  North  America.  He 
was  to  make  for  Wager  River  or  Repulse  Bay,  as  might  be  found  most 
practicable;  and  thence  to  dispatch  exploring  parties  to  reach  Franklin's 
Point  Turnagain  to  the  northwest,  and  Parry's  Fury  and  Hecla  Strait 
to  the  north,  along  the  western  coast  of  Melville  Peninsula. 

The  Terror  was  made  ready  for  sea  with  the  proper  equipment  of 
men  and  supplies,  and  in  nine  months  after  his  return  Back  set  sail  for 
the  northwest  on  the  I4th  of  June,  1836.  About  the  1st  of  August  they 
encountered  the  ice  in  Davis'  Strait — Back  noticed  one  iceberg  "  the  per- 
pendicular face  of  which  was  not  less  than  300  feet  high" — and  soon  be- 
came entangled  in  the  ice-floe.  Pushing  through  Hudson's  Strait,  they 
reached  Salisbury  Island  on .  the  I4th  of  August,  and  made  across  the 
lower  portion  of  Fox's  Channel,  for  the  Frozen  Strait,  on  their  way  to 
Repulse  Bay.  On  the  5th  of  September  they  had  to  force  their  way 
into  open  water,  and  Back  thus  describes  the  scene :  "  The  light-hearted 
fellows  pulled  [the  obstructing  masses  of  ice]  in  unison  to  a  cheerful 
song,  and  laughed  and  joked  with  the  unreflecting  merriment  of  school- 
boys. Every  now  and  then  some  luckless  wight  broke  through  the  ice, 
and  plunged  up  to  his  neck;  another,  endeavoring  to  remove  a  piece  of 
ice  by  pushing  against  a  larger  mass,  would  set  himself  adrift  with  it,  and 
every  such  adventure  was  followed  by  shouts  of  laughter  and  vociferous 
mirth." 

"  On  the  2oth  of  September,  shortly  after  9  o'clock,"  says  Back,  "  a 
floe  piece  split  in  two,  and  the  extreme  violence  of  the  pressure  curled 
and  crumpled  up  the  windward  ice  in  an  awful  manner,  forcing  it  against 
the  beam  fully  eighteen  feet  high.  The  ship  cracked,  as  it  were,  in  agony, 
and  strong  as  she  was,  must  have  been  crushed  had  not  some  of 
the  smaller  masses  been  forced  under  her  bottom,  and  so  diminished 
the  strain  by  actually  lifting  her  bow  nearly  two  feet  out  of  the  water 
In  this  perilous  state  steps  were  taken  to  have  everything  in  readiness 
for  hoisting  out  the  barge ;  and,  without  creating  unnecessary  alarm,  the 
officers  and  men  were  called  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  desired,  in  case  of 
emergency,  to  be  active  in  the  performance  of  their  duties  at  the  respec- 
tive stations  then  notified  to  them.  It  was  a  serious  moment  for  all,  as 


355 


356  IMPRISONED. 

the  pressure  still  continued,  nor  could  we  expect  much  if  any  abatement 
until  the  wind  changed."  The  next  day,  after  being  more  than  twenty- 
four  hours  in  imminent  peril  of  being  crushed  by  the  pressure,  "  One 
mass-of  ponderous  dimensions  burst  from  its  imprisonment  below,"  and 
the  staunch  Terror,  "  after  several  astounding  thumps  under  water," 
regained  her  upright  position,  substantially  uninjured.  They  had  now 
been  a  month  beset,  and  had  concluded  to  cut  an  ice-dock  for  the  ship, 
when  the  ice-continent  began  to  break  up  into  detached  masses  and  hum- 
mocks. For  several  days  the  ship  was  out  of  position,  with  her  stern 
seven  feet  and  a  half  too  high,  her  bow  correspondingly  low,  and 
her  deck  a  slippery  inclined  plane.  On  the  first  of  October  the  vessel 
righted,  with  a  snug  dock,  just  her  size,  ready  made  by  the  ice-king. 
They  now  proceeded  to  surround  the  ship  with  snow-walls,  and  to  erect 
an  observatory  on  the  floe,  thus  extemporizing  winter  quarters. 

On  the  22d  a  masquerade  party  was  held  on  board,  and  theatrical 
entertainments  followed,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  heterogeneous  crew. 
A  few  of  these  were  men-of-war's  men ;  half  a  dozen,  perhaps,  had  seen 
service  in  Greenland  vessels;  and  the  bulk  of  the  remainder,  seamen 
only  in  name,  had  served  in  the  coasting  colliers  of  England.  And  so 
the  winter  wore  away  with  the  Terror  "  securely  locked  in  the  ice,  but 
with  no  guaranty  against  sudden  and  dangerous  surprises,  while  she 
helplessly  drifted — slowly  or  rapidly,  according  to  circumstances — hither 
and  thither,  under  the.  influence  of  the  wind  and  the  movement  of  the 
surrounding  ice.  Christmas  came  and  went;  the  first  of  January,  1837, 
followed;  January  gave  way  to  February,  and  there  was  yet  no  change. 
As  the  1 9th  of  that  month  passed  the  dividing  line  into  the  2Oth,  a 
new  danger  arose.  For  three  hours  after  midnight,  the  ice  alternately 
opened  and  shut,  threatening  to  crush  the  stoutly-built  Terror,  like  an 
egg-shell.  At  4  o'clock  great  fissures  appeared,  and  the  ice  began  to 
move.  After  eight  it  grew  more  quiet,  and  at  nine  Back  summoned  the 
men  to  the  quarter-deck  to  give  them  such  exhortations  and  advice  as 
the  occasion  required.  He  reminded  them  that  as  British  seamen  they 
were  called  upon  to  conduct  themselves  with  coolness  and  fortitude,  and 
that,  independently  of  the  obligations  imposed  by  the  Articles  of  War, 


A   CRITICAL  HOUR  357 

every  one  ought  to  be  influenced  by  the  still  higher  nature  of  a  conscien- 
tious desire  to  do  his  duty.  They  were  five  to  eight  miles  from  the  north 
coast  of  Southampton  Island.  Extra  clothing  was  dealt  to  the  men;i 
bales  of  blankets,  bear-skins,  provisions  and  fuel  were  piled  on  deck,  to 
be  in  readiness  at  a  moment's  notice.  At  noon  the  floe  began  to  drift  to 
the  north.  "  Though  I  had  seen,"  says  Back,  "  vast  bodies  of  ice  from 
Spitzbergen  to  150°  west  longitude,  under  various  aspects,  some  beauti- 
ful, and  all  more  or  less  awe-inspiring,  I  had  never  witnessed,  nor  even 
imagined,  anything  so  fearfully  magnificent  as  the  moving  towers  and 
ramparts  that  now  frowned  on  every  side." 

For  three  hours  the  ship  remained  unmolested,  except  by  the  usual 
pressure  of  the  ice;  but  at  5  o'clock  an  extra  nip  was  received  by  the 
opening  and  shutting  of  the  floe  in  which  she  was  embedded,  and  an- 
other an  hour  later  seemed  to  make  every  plank  groan  in  agony,  while 
she  was  lifted  up  eighteen  inches.  A  similar  squeeze  was  experienced 
at  seven  from  the  closing  of  a  narrow  lane  astern;  and  then  for  nine 
hours  there  was  quiet.  A  movement  of  the  ice  at  4  o'clock  released 
the  ship,  and  she  rode  once  more  in  the  water,  only  to  be  again  lifted,  an 
hour  later,  eighteen  inches  as  before.  At  intervals,  there  was  a  jerk 
from  the  ice  underneath,  and  a  squeak  from  the  ship's  timbers,  but  no 
important  change  till  the  i5th  of  March.  Back  thus  records  what  then 
happened:  "While  we  were  gliding  quickly  along  the  land — which  I 
may  here  remark  had  become  more  broken  and  rocky,  though  without 
attaining  an  altitude  of  more  than  perhaps  one  hundred  to  two  hundred 
feet — at  1 145  p.  M.,  without  the  least  warning,  a  heavy  rush  came  upon 
the  ship,  and  with  a  tremendous  pressure  on  the  larboard  quarter,  bore 
her  over  upon  the  heavy  mass  on  her  starboard  quarter.  The  strain  was 
severe  in  every  part,  though  from  the  forecastle  she  appeared  to  be  mov- 
ing in  the  easiest  manner  toward  the  land  ice.  Suddenly,  however,  a 
loud  crack  was  heard  below  the  mainmast,  as  if  the  keel  were  broken  or 
carried  away;  and  simultaneously  the  outer  stern-post  from  the  ten-foot 
mark  was  split  down  to  an  unknown  extent,  and  projected  to  the  lar- 
board side  upward  of  three  feet.  The  ship  was  thrown  up  by  the  stern 
to  the  seven  and  a  half  feet  mark ;  and  that  damage  had  been  done  was 


358  RELEASE. 

soon  placed  beyond  doubt  by  the  increase  of  leakage,  which  now 
amounted  to  three  feet  per  hour." 

Extra  pumps  were  worked;  and  the  cutters  with  two  whale- 
boats  were  loaded  and  hauled  off  to  places  of  greater  security.  An 
ever-increasing  rush  began  about  8  o'clock;  and  at  10:45  ^  came 
on  with  a  roar  toward  the  ship,  upturning  the  ice  in  front,  and  rolling 
layer  upon  layer  to  a  height  of  twenty-five  feet.  This  huge  mass 
was  pushed  forward  until  it  reached  the  stern,  where  it  stopped,  hurling 
however,  a  considerable  fragment  on  the  larboard  quarter,  creating  a 
temporary  leakage  by  the  straining  of  the  stern.  Two  hours  later,  a 
similar  rush  with  a  like  consequence  took  place,  with  the  additional  result 
of  lifting  the  ship's  stern,  and  breaking  up  their  "cherished  courtyard,  its 
walls  and  arched  doors,  gallery,  and  well-trodden  paths,  which  were 
rent,  and  in  some  parts  ploughed  up  like  dust.  Within  fifteen  minutes 
another  surging  mass,  thirty  feet  high,  was  driven  toward  the  star- 
board quarter,  creating  also  a  temporary  leakage,  but  the  main  body 
falling  short  of  the  ship  as  before.  The  ship  cracked  and  trembled  and 
groaned  violently;  and  the  rushes  continued  at  intervals,  but  with  dimin- 
ished force  until  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  March  16,  when  it  grew 
still.  They  were  only  three  miles  from  a  spit  of  land,  which  was  brist- 
ling with  shore  ice  surmounted  by  a  ridge  of  rolled-up  ice  perhaps  sixty 
feet  in  height,  and  which  they  named  Point  Terror. 

Now  another  season  of  comparative  repose  set  in,  lasting  almost 
three  months,  the  vessel  still  drifting  with  the  ice — several  hundred  miles 
from  first  to  last— when,  on  the  nth  of  July,  while  the  men  were  occu- 
pied with  the  labor  of  cutting  her  loose,  they  were  startled  by  various 
crackings  and  noises  underneath.  Soon  a  loud  rumbling  was  heard,  and  an 
instant  later  the  ship  at  length  floated  free  in  her  natural  element,  having 
finally  burst  the  icy  bonds  which  held  her  fast  nine  months.  During 
four  of  these  she  was  held  out  of  the  water  in  an  ice-cradle,  or  floating 
ice-dock;  and  for  weeks  before  being  frozen  in,  she  was  so  closely  beset 
that  she  may  be  said  to  have  been  imprisoned  for  almost  eleven  months 
out  of  the  thirteen  that  had  passed  since  she  left  England.  They  had 
cut  the  ice  to  within  four  feet  of  the  stern-post  before  she  broke  loose,  and 


AT  HOME. 


359 


then  she  was  almost  capsized  by  l.he  upheaval  of  the  loosened  mass  be- 
neath. She  righted  on  the  14th,  but  there  was  nothing  left  except  to 
return  to  England,  fortunate  if,  in  her  disabled  condition  she  could  make 
the  voyage.  Calking,  patching,  and  staunching  her  gaping  wounds 
as  best  they  could,  they  sailed  for  home,  relinquishing  all  attempt  to  ex- 
tend the  scope  of  geographical  knowledge  of  North  America.  The  Ter- 
ror not  only  made  the  voyage  in  safety,  but  will  be  again  heard  of  in  a 
second  encounter  with  Arctic  dangers. 


CHAPTER   XL. 

DBASE    AND     SIMPSON    IN    NORTH    AMERICA WINTER    AT    FORT     CON- 
FIDENCE  SHOOTING     ESCAPE      RAPID CAPE      PELLY RICHARD- 

SON'S      RIVER MONTREAL      ISLAND MIDDENDORF      IN      TAIMUR 

PENINSULA DESCENDS      THE      YENISEI SAMOYEDS  HUNTING 

BUTTERFLIES ARCTIC      ANIMALS-. — TAIMUR     LAKE LEFT    ALONE 

FAREWELL    TO    THE    TAIMUR. 

Back's  land  journey  and  sea  voyage  left  the  breaks  in  the  coast  sur- 
vey of  North  America  unclosed,  and  the  task  of  completing  the  explora- 
tion was  intrusted  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  to  two  of  their  officers, 
Peter  Warren  Dease  and  Thomas  Simpson.  At  the  very  time  when  the 
Terror  was  floating  helplessly  in  the  ice  of  Frozen  Strait  and  Fox's 
Channel,  these  overland  explorers,  with  a  company  of  twelve  men,  were 
swiftly  descending  the  MacKenzie,  and  in  July  and  August  of  that  year 
(1837)  *ney  surveyed  the  146  intervening  miles  between  Franklin's  Re- 
turn Reef  and  the  spot  just  beyond  Point  Barrow,  whence  Elson  returned 
to  the  Blossom  in  1826,  as  stated  in  a  preceding  chapter.  The  ground 
was  found  frozen  to  a  depth  of  several  inches,  and  the  spray  froze  on  the 
oars  and  rigging  of  the  boats.  Two  rivers,  the  Garry  and  the  Colville, 
were  discovered.  The  ice-floe  from  the  north  closing  in  to  the  shore  ice, 
they  were  compelled  to  abandon  their  boats,  when  the.  hardier  of  the 
leaders,  Simpson,  with  some  of  the  more  robust  of  the  men,  pushed  for- 
ward on  foot,  carrying  their  provisions  on  their  backs,  and  on  the  4th  of 
August  reached  the  goal  already  referred  to.  Thomas  Simpson  was 
well  adapted  to  the  arduous  undertaking,  having  once  performed  the  feat 
of  marching  in  mid-winter  from  York  Factory  on  Hudson's  Bay  to  Ft. 
Chipewyan,  on  Lake  Athabasca,  a  distance  of  about  2,000  miles,  with  no 
protection  against  the  cold  but  a  cloth  cloak. 

360 


SHOOTING   THE  RAPIDS.  361 

They  now  returned  to  Fort  Confidence  on  Great  Bear  Lake  to  spend 
the  winter,  with  instructions  to  devote  the  ensuing  season  to  extending 
the  survey  from  Franklin's  Point  Turnagain,  of  1821,  to  the  eastward 
until  they  met  Back's  party  expected  in  that  region,  overland  from  their 
projected  quarters  at  the  head  of  Repulse  Bay  or  Wager  River,  which, 
as  has  been  seen,  they  were  unable  to  reach.  On  the  6th  of  June,  1838, 
they  left  Fort  Confidence,  and  ascended  a  river  which  empties  into  Great 
Bear  Lake  from  the  north,  and  which  they  named  Dease  River  in  honor 
of  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  expedition.  Making  thence  for  the  Copper- 
mine, they  descended  that  river  to  Coronation  Gulf,  which  they  reached 
on  the  ist  of  July,  after  a  dangerous  passage  through  the  rapids.  The 
shooting  through  Escape  Rapid  is  thus  described  by  Simpson:  "A 
glance  at  the  overflowing  cliff  told  us  that  there  was  no  alternative  but 
to  run  clown  with  a  full  cargo.  In  an  instant  we  were  in  the  vortex; 
and  before  we  were  aware,  my  boat  was  borne  toward  an  isolated  rock, 
which  the  boiling  surge  almost  concealed.  To  clear  it  on  the  outside 
was  no  longer  possible;  our  only  chance  of  safety  was  to  run  between  it 
and  the  lofty  eastern  cliff.  The  word  was  passed,  and  every  breath  was 
hushed.  A  stream  which  dashed  down  upon  us  over  the  brow  of  the 
precipice,  more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  mingled  with  the  spray 
that  whirled  upward  from  the  rapid,  forming  a  terrific  shower-bath.  The 
pass  was  about  eight  feet  wide,  and  the  error  of  a  single  foot  on  either 
side  would  have  been  instant  destruction.  As,  guided  by  Sinclair's  con- 
summate skill,  the  boat  shot  safely  through  those  jaws  of  death,  an  in- 
voluntary cheer  arose.  Our  next  impulse  was  to  turn  round  to  view  the 
fate  of  our  comrades  behind.  They  had  profited  by  the  peril  we  in- 
curred, and  kept  without  the  treachei'ous  rock  in  time." 

Here  they  awaited  the  opening  of  the  ice  until  the  iyth,  when  they 
proceeded  east,  reaching  Cape  Barrow  on  the  29th.  Unable  to  cross 
Bathurst  Inlet  because  of  the  ice-pack,  they  pushed  northeast  through 
Arctic  Sound,  doubling  Cape  Flinders — 68°  15'  by  109°  15' — in  Kent 
Peninsula,  on  the  9th  of  August.  Here,  in  a  little  bay,  which  they 
named  Boat  Haven,  about  three  miles  short  of  Point  Turnagain,  their 
further  progress  was  blocked  by  the  ice;  and  here  they  waited  in  vain 


362  RICHARDSOWS  RIVER. 

for.  an  opening  till  the  2Oth,  when  Simpson,  with  seven  men  and  pro- 
visions for  ten  days,  set  out  on  foot.  They  arrived  at  Franklin's  "limit" 
the  first  day,  and  on  the  23d  they  reached  a  bold,  elevated  headland,  of 
which  Simpson  says:  "I  ascended  the  height,  from  whence  a  vast  and 
splendid  prospect  burst  suddenly  upon  me.  The  sea,  as  if  transformed 
by  enchantment,  rolled  its  fierce  waves  at  my  feet,  and  beyond  the  reach 
of  vision  to  the  eastward,  islands  of  various  shape  and  size  overspread  its 
surface;  and  the  northern  land  terminated  to  the  eye  in  a  bold  and  lofty 
cape,  bearing  east-northeast,  thirty  or  forty  miles  distant,  while  the  con- 
tinental coast  trended  away  southeast.  I  stood,  in  fact,  on  a  remarkable 
headland,  at  the  eastern  outlet  of  an  ice-obstructed  strait.  On  the  exten- 
sive land  to  the  northward  I  bestowed  the  name  of  our  most  gracious 
sovereign,  Queen  Victoria.  Its  eastern  visible  extremity  I  called  Cape 
Felly,  in  compliment  to  the  governor  of  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 

Simpson  now  retraced  his  steps  to  Boat  Haven,  which  he  reached  on 
the  3Oth,  having  surveyed  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  of  coast-line  to 
the  east  of  Point  Turnagain.  Preparations  were  rapidly  made  for  the 
return  to  Fort  Confidence,  and  they  began  the  ascent  of  the  Copper- 
mine River  on  the  3d  of  September.  Arriving  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ken- 
dall River,  they  struck  out  across  the  country  to  the  west — leaving  the 
boats  until  they  should  need  them  in  the  spring — and  reached  their  win- 
ter quarters  on  the  I4th. 

Setting  out  in  June,  1839,  for  their  third  expedition,  they  devoted  a 
week  to  exploring  Richardson's  River,  which  enters  Coronation  Gulf  in 
longitude  115°  56',  and  arrived  at  the  gulf  toward  the  end  of  the  month. 
To  their  great  surprise  and  delight  they  found  it  almost  free  of  ice,  and 
pushing  rapidly  east,  they  doubled  Cape  Barrow  on  the  3d  of  July. 
'  Reaching  Cape  Franklin,  Simpson's  limit  of  the  previous  year,  a  month 
earlier  than  on  that  occasion,  they  doubled  Cape  Alexander,  at  the 
eastern  entrance  of  Dease's  Strait,  in  latitude  68°  55'  and  longitude 
106°  45',  on  the  28th.  They  now  coasted  the  large  bay  or  gulf  extend- 
ing five  or  six  hundred  miles  to  the  east,  still  unnamed,  until  the  roth  of 
August,  when  they  entered  the  narrow  strait  which  separates  the  conti- 
nent from  King  William's  Land — now  proved  to  be  an  island — and 


MURDER   OF  SIMPSON.  363 

which  has  been  named  in  honor  of  the  explore!",  Simpson's  Strait.  On 
the  1 3th  they  passed  Richardson's  Point  and  Point  Ogle,  on  the  estuary 
of  the  Great  Fish  River — Back's  limit  in  1834.  On  the  i6th,  still  follow- 
ing the  southern  trend  of  the  estuary,  they  reached  Montreal  Island, 
where  Back  had  left  a  deposit  of  provisions.  The  pemmican  was 
found  unfit  for  use,  and  the  chocolate  also  for  the  most  part,  but  they 
managed  to  scrape  up  enough  to  make  a  kettle  full,  and  picked  up  a  tin 
case  and  a  few  fish-hooks,  "of  which,"  says  Simpson,  "Mr.  Dease  and  I 
took  possession  as  memorials  of  our  having  breakfasted  on  the  very  spot 
where  the  tent  of  our  gallant,  though  less  successful  precursor,  had  stood 
that  very  day  five  years  before." 

Still  pushing  eastward,  they  reached  Aberdeen  Island  four  days  later, 
and  their  limit  on  the  25th.  This  was  near  Cape  Herschel,  and  was 
marked  by  the  usual  cairn  and  deposit  of  documents.  From  a  monu- 
ment top  three  miles  inland  they  beheld  Boothia  Felix  to  the  north  and 
some  islands  in  Boothia  Gulf  to  the  east,  and  were  in  fact  on  what  is  now 
known  as  Boothia  Isthmus,  but  which  for  a  time  was  supposed  to  be  a 
peninsula,  and  named  after  Simpson.  They  were  about  ninety  miles 
south  of  the  North  Magnetic  Pole  as  ascertained  by  Ross  eight  years 
before.  Retracing  their  course  and  making  a  digression  to  the  north 
through  Victoria  Strait  to  explore  the  east  coast  of  Victoria  Land  about 
150  miles,  they  reached  the  Coppermine  on  the  i6th  of  September,  and 
Fort  Confidence  on  the  24th,  after  a  boat  voyage  of  1,600  miles  and  an 
absence  of  not  quite  four  months.  Simpson,  the  hero  of  these  expedi- 
tions, did  not  long  survive,  having  been  assassinated  the  ensuing  year, 
at  the  early  age  of  thirty-six,  by  his  Indian  guides,  between  the  head 
waters  of  the  Red  River  and  the  Mississippi,  while  on  his  way  to, 
England. 

MIDDENDORF  IN  TAIMUR  PENINSULA. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1843,  the  academician,  Th.  Von  Middendorf, 
accompanied  by  a  Danish  forester  named  Brandt,  and  a  single  servant, 
.had  arrived  on  the  Yenisei,  below  Turuchausk — 61°  by  90°  30',  east — 
with  a  commission  from  the  Academy  of  Sciences  at  St.  Petersburg  to 


364  DESCENT  OF  THE   TENISEI. 

explore  the  northernmost  peninsula  of  Asia,  known  as  Taimur.  It  has 
been  stated  in  a  preceding  chapter  how  one  of  the  brothers  Laptew  had 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Taimur  River,  in  1741.  It  was  now  deemed 
desirable  in  the  interests  of  science  to  ascertain  the  effect  of  summer  in 
the  most  northern  continental  climate  of  the  globe.  Middendorf,  an  em- 
inent naturalist,  volunteered  his  services,  which  were  gladly  accepted. 
He  was  eminently  qualified  for  the  undertaking,  being  possessed  of  great 
physical  strength,  manual  dexterity  and  powers  of  endurance,  besides  his 
recognized  intellectual  ability,  untiring  zeal  for  science,  and  indomitable 
determination. 

Descending  the  Yenisei  to  the  point  whence  he  determined  to  strike 
across  the  country,  he  was  joined  by  the  topographer  of  the  expedition 
and  three  Cossacks,  and  some  native  Tungusi  guides.  These  prelimina- 
ries were  scarcely  adjusted  when  some  of  the  company  were  taken 
down  with  the  measles.  A  primitive  ambulance  was  provided  for  them, 
in  the  shape  of  boxes  lined  with  skins,  and  placed  on  sledges.  Clearing 
the  forests  on  the  13th,  they  struck  the  open  tundras  with  the  thermom- 
eter 36°  below  zero.  Pushing  to  the  northeast  they  crossed  the  Pasina 
River,  and  falling  in  with  one  Samoyed  horde  after  another — the  tempo- 
rary and  only  residents  of  those  cold  regions — they  reached  Filipowskoi- 
Karonoi,  in  latitude  71°  5',  on  the  Boganida,  which  flows  south  and 
joins  the  Cheta,  an  affluent  of  the  Chatanga.  This  flows  northeast  to  the 
Polar  Sea,  on  the  eastern  coast  of  the  Taimur  Peninsula,  and  Midden- 
dorf was  anxious  to  reach  it  before  the  melting  of  the  snow.  Here,  how- 
ever, he  was  compelled  to  halt,  as  all  of  his  party  were  sick  with  the 
measles.  Making  an  excursion  to  the  Chatanga  to  start  the  necessary 
preparations  for  his  voyage  down  that  river,  but  finding  the  epidemic 
prevailing  at  Chatangskoi,  he  quickly  changed  his  purpose,  and  deter- 
mined to  proceed  almost  due  north  for  Taimur  River.  Returning  to 
Filipowskoi-Koronvi,  he  quickly  procured  the  construction  of  the  frame- 
work of  a  boat  of  twelve  feet  keel,  and  set  out  on  the  ipth  of  May, 
with  the  topographer,  an  interpreter  and  two  Cossacks,  and  sixty-eight 
reindeer,  in  company  with  some  Samoyeds  who  were  bound  that  way. 
Brandt  and  the  others  were  left  behind,  with  instructions  to  occupy  them- 


SCIENTIFIC   OBSERVATIONS.  3fl5 

selves,  as  soon  as  able,  with  making  meteorological  observations,  and  col- 
lections of  the  fauna  and  flora  of  the  country. 

Reaching  the  Novaya  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Taimur,  the  party 
suffered  severely  from  a  terrific  snowstorm  from  the  271!!  to  the  3Oth. 
Resuming  their  journey  on  the  3ist,  they  made  slow  progress  over 
the  fresh-fallen  snow,  and  did  not  strike  the  Taimur  until  the  I4th  of 
June,  in  latitude  74°.  Middendorf  now  pitched  his  tents,  and  proceeded 
to  complete  his  boat,  which  he  named  the  Tundra.  The  ice  began  to 
break  up  on  the  3Oth,  and  on  the  5th  of  July  she  was  launched  by  the 
light  of  the  midnight  sun.  North  winds  delayed  his  progress  to  and 
ithrough  Taimur  Lake,  but  beyond  the  increased  rapidity  of  the  current, 
hurried  him  on.  On  the  6th  of  August  they  had  the  first  frost,  and  on 
the  24th  they  reached  the  sea,  in  75°  40'. 

The  statement  of  the  eminent  Swiss  naturalist,  De  Saussure,  that  the 
difference  between  light  and  shade  is  greatest  in  summer  and  in  the 
higher  latitudes,  received  confirmation  from  the  observations  of  Midden- 
dorf. With  the  thermometer  at  37°  below  zero  in  the  shade,  the  hill- 
sides exposed  to  the  sun  were  dripping  with  wet,  and  toward  the  end  of 
June^  with  the  mean  temperature  below  the  freezing  point  of  water,  the 
snow  had  already  disappeared  from  the  sunny  side  of  the  Taimur.  Tor- 
rents swept  down  the  hillsides,  and  the  great  rivers  rose  forty  feet  above 
the  winter  level,  sweeping  the  ice  along  to  the  sea.  On  the  3d  of 
August,  Middendorf,  in  light  underclothes  and  barefooted,  hunted  but- 
terflies in  latitude  74°  15',  the  thermometer  rose  to  68°,  and  near  the 
ground  to  86°,  while  at  a  spot  exposed  to  the  northeast  wind  it  fell  to  27°. 
The  moisture  of  the  air  was  very  great;  in  May  thick  snow  fogs  ob- 
scured the  atmosphere;  in  June  these  changed  to  vapor  fogs,  which  daily 
turned  to  light,  intermittent  showers,  but  toward  midnight  the  atmos- 
phere usually  grew  clear  and  serene.  Contrary  to  Arago's  opinion,  it 
was  found  that  thunderstorms  occur  within  the  Arctic,  and  winds  rose, 
very  suddenly.  Toward  the  end  of  August  the  south  and  north  winds 
seemed  to  struggle  awhile  for  the  supremacy,  but  the  north  wind  soon 
gained  the  ascendency.  The  fall  of  snow  is  comparatively  light,  and  for 
the  most  part  is  swept  by  the  fierce  winds  into  ravines,  and  to  the  great 


3fi6  AN  EPIDEMIC. 

ridges  of  snow-drift  which  form  the  dividing  line  beyond  which  the  wan- 
dering Samoyeds  do  not  penetrate.  Middendorf  was  astonished  to  find 
on  the  tundra,  toward  the  end  of  winter,  only  two  to  six  inches  of  snow, 
and  in  the  lakes  and  rivers  only  four  to  eight  feet  of  ice,  according  to  the 
quantity  of  snow  with  which  it  was  covered,  as  far  north  as  74°.  The 
land  was  found  to  consist  of  barren  plateaux,  with  occasional  undulating 
heights,  where  the  scant  vegetation  scarcely  concealed  the  boulders  and 
sand  which  formed  the  underlying  crust.  A  brownish  moss  is  the  chief 
covering  of  the  soil,  except  where  along  the  streams  and  in  depressions 
the  grass  gains  the  ascendency,  and  in  specially  favorable  situations  at- 
tains a  growth  of  three  or  four  inches.  On  the  protected  slopes  of  lake 
and  river,  Middendorf  found  considerable  patches  of  green  sward,  with  a 
good  growth  of  grass  and  flowers.  If  one  wishes  "  to  see  the  grass 
grow,"  he  should  visit  the  Taimur,  where  the  progress  of  vegetation  is 
probably  the  most  rapid  in  the  world.  The  animals  found  were  the 
same  as  are  encountered  in  both  hemispheres  as  high  as  latitude  75° — 
snow-hares,  foxes,  wolves,  reindeer;  bees,  hornets,  butterflies,  caterpil- 
lars; spiders,  flies,  gnats;  and  last,  though  not  least,  the  wary  gull  and 
ptarmigan. 

Notwithstanding  the  energy  and  quickness  of  Middendorf,  the  accu- 
mulated result  of  numerous  petty  delays  was,  that  he  only  reached  the 
Taimur  at  a  date  when  he  should  have  been  on  his  way  back.  The 
epidemic  had  not  only  struck  his  own  immediate  party,  but  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Chatangsk,  whence  he  had  originally  proposed  to  take  the 
quicker  route  by  river,  and  also  the  horde  of  Samoyeds,  on  whose  guid- 
ance and  aid  he  had  relied.  Devoting  a  single  day,  the  25th  of  August, 
to  the  observation  of  the  Polar  Sea,  he  saw  it  free  from  ice  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  from  an  elevated  point  on  the  coast,  and.  on  the  26th  set 
out  on  his  return.  "The  great  distance,"  he  says,  "  from  any  human  hab- 
itation, the  rapid  stream,  against  which  he  had  now  to  contend,  and  the 
advanced  season,  with  its  approaching  dark  nights  and  frosts,  made  our 
return  an  imperative  necessity,  and  I  could  have  but  little  reliance  on  out- 
remaining  strength.  The  insufficient  food  and  the  fatigues  of  our  jour- 
ney, often  prolonged  to  extreme  exhaustion,  had  reduced  our  vigor;  and 


TKISCHUN— A  SAMOYKD   CHIEFTAIN. 


368  LEFT  ALONE. 

we  all  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  our  frequent  wading  through  cold 
water  when,  as  often  happened,  our  boat  had  grounded  upon  a  shallow, 
or  when  the  flat  mud  banks  of  the  river  gave  us  no  alternative  for  reach- 
ing the  dry  land.  It  was  now  the  second  month  since  we  had  not  slept 
under  a  tent,  having  all  the  time  passed  the  nights  behind  a  screen, 
erected  on  the  oars  of  the  boat  as  a  shelter  against  the  wind." 

The  north  wind  helped  them  forward,  and  with  oars  and  sail  they 
proceeded  to  the  south,  passing  two  rapids  which  they  at  first  thought 
insurmountable.  On  the  315!  a  gust  of  wind  drove  them  on  a  rock,  dis- 
abling their  rudder;  and  on  the  5th  of  September  another  drove  them  on 
a  sand  bank  in  the  northern  end  of  Taimur  Lake.  With  the  tempera- 
ture at  only  27°  at  noon,  their  clothes  were  covered  with  a  solid  ice- 
crust;  and  scarcely  a  day  passed  without  sleet  or  snow.  On  the  Sth  they 
left  the  sand  bank,  the  storm  having  at  length  subsided,  but  on  the  9th 
were  dismayed  at  finding  the  new  ice  forming  in  their  rear.  While 
putting  forth  every  effort  to  reach  the  river,  the  boat  was  crushed  be- 
tween two  ice-floes,  and  with  difficulty  was  got  ashore,  disabled  and 
worthless.  Making  a  hand-sledge  they  pushed  forward  on  the  loth;  but 
on  the  morning  of  the  nth,  Middendorf  was  unable  to  proceed.  But 
with  a  heroism  worthy  of  an  Arctic  explorer,  he  ordered  his  compan- 
ions forward  to  reach,  if  possible,  the  Samoyeds  before  the  period  of 
their  annual  return  to  the  south,  and  thus  save  themselves,  and  possibly 
him  too,  if  they  should  fall  in  with  the  nomads  soon.  The  scant  supply 
of  provisions,  supplemented  by  MiddendorPs  dog,  was  divided  into  five 
equal  rations,  and  his  four  companions  set  out,  leaving  the  brave  Mid- 
dendorf to  struggle  alone  with  his  disease,  and  the  surrounding 
desolation. 

"My  companions  had  now  left  me  twelve  days,"  says  Middendorf; 
"human  assistance  could  no  longer  be  expected;  I  was  convinced  that  I 
had  only  myself  to  rely  upon,  that  I  was  doomed,  and  as  good  as  num- 
bered with  the  dead.  And  yet  my  courage  did  not  forsake  me."  Thus 
he  lay  three  days  longer  until  his  sad  thoughts  threatened  to  unseat  his 
reason,  when,  as  he  says,  a  saving  thought  flashed  upon  him.  "My  last 
pieces  of  wood  were  quickly  lighted,  some  water  WHS  thawed  and. 


TKISCHUN:  369 

warmed;  I  poured  into  it  the  spirits  from  a  flask  containing  a  specimen 
of  natural  history,  and  drank.  A  new  life  seemed  to  awaken  in  me;  my 
thoughts  returned  again  to  my  family.  Soon  I  fell  into  a  profound  sleep 
— how  long  it  lasted  I  know  not — but  on  awakening,  I  felt  like  another 
man,  and  my  breast  was  filled  with  gratitude.  Appetite  returned  with 
recovery,  and  I  was  induced  to  eat  leather  and  birch-bark,  when  a  ptar- 
migan fortunately  came  within  reach  of  my  gun.  Having  thus  obtained 
some  food  for  the  journey,  I  resolved,  though  still  very  feeble,  to  set  out 
and  seek  the  provisions  we  had  buried.  Packing  some  articles  of  dress, 
my  gun  and  ammunition,  my  journal,  etc.,  on  my  small  hand-sledge,  I 
proceeded  slowly,  and  frequently  resting.  At  noon  I  saw,  on  a  well- 
known  declivity  of  the  hills,  three  black  spots  which  I  had  not  previ- 
ously noticed,  and  as  they  changed  their  position,  I  at  once  altered  my 
route  to  join  them.  We  approached  each  other,  and — judge  of  my  de- 
light— it  was  Trischun,  the  Samoyed  chieftain  whom  I  had  previously 
assisted  in  the  prevailing  epidemic,  and  who  now,  guided  by  one  of  my 
companions,  had  set  out  with  three  sledges  to  seek  me.  Eager  to  serve 
his  benefactor,  the  grateful  savage  had  made  his  reindeer  wander  with- 
out food  over  a  space  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  versts  (eighty-seven  miles) 
where  no  moss  grew. 

"  I  now  heard  that  my  companions  had  fortunately  reached  the 
Samoyeds,  four  days  after  our  separation;  but  the  dreadful  snowstorms 
had  prevented  the  nomads  from  coming  sooner  to  my  assistance,  and 
had  even  forced  them  twice  to  retrace  their  steps.  On  September  3Oth 
the  Samoyeds  brought  me  to  my  tent;  and  on  October  9th  we  bade  the 
Taimur  an  eternal  farewell.  After  five  months  we  hailed  with  delight, 
on  October  20,  the  verge  of  the  forest,  and  on  the  following  day  we 
reached  the  smoky  hut  on  the  Boganida  where  we  had  left  our  friends." 

Middendorf  fell  short  nearly  two  degrees  of  reaching  the  north  point 
of  the  peninsula,  and  of  Asia,  called  Cape  Chelyuskin,  in  honor  of  a 
Russian  explorer  of  that  name  who  reached  it  by  land  in  1742.  Six 
years  earlier  Prontschischev  had  reached  within  a  few  minutes  of  it,  and 
one  of  the  Laptews,  in  1739,  within  50',  in  their  coasting  vessels.  But 
even  had  there  been  time  to  make  the  trip,  Middendorf  might  have  pre- 
34 


370 


OBJECT  OF  THE   JOURNET. 


ferret!  to  spend  it  in  extending  his  observations  on  the  fauna  and 
flora,  the  meteorology  and  climate  of  Taimur.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  these,  and  not  geographical  discovery,  were  the  objects  of  his 
expedition. 


PART  IV. 


FHflNKLIN  flHH  SEflHEH  VHYflEES. 


"  On  the  frozen  deep^s  repose, 

'77.?  a  dark  and  dreadful  hour, 
When  round  the  ship  the  ice-fields  close, 

And  the  northern  night-clouds  loiver. 
But  let  the  ice  drift  on ! 

Let  the  cold  blue  desert  spread; 
Their  course  ivith  mast  and  Jlag  is  done — 

Even  there  sleep  England' 's    dead" 

MRS.    HEMANS. 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

FRANKLIN'S  LAST  VOYAGE — TEMERITY  OF  FRANKLIN  AND  PARTY — 

CHOSEN  BY  THE  ADMIRALTY THE  EREBUS  AND  TERROR LAST 

INTELLIGENCE  OF  FRANKLIN FRANKLIN'S    FAVORITE    THEORY 

THE   SEARCH COMMENTS  ON  ARCTIC   SCIENCE. 

Surely  "through  desire,  a  man  having  separated  himself,  seeketh  and 
intermeddleth  with  all  wisdom." 

When  the  wise  man,  three  thousand  years  ago,  made  this  profound 
deliverance  concerning  the  investigating  spirit  of  mankind,  he  certainly 
must  have  cast  a  prophetic  eye  down  the  ages,  and  anticipated  the  march 
of  science  and  the  coming  tread  of  universal  knowledge.  Doubtless,  he 
saw  the  New  World  discovered,  and  peopled  with  an  enterprising  race 
of  beings,  whose  aims  and  intelligence  were  not  restricted  to  the  obser- 
vance of  a  few  lifeless  forms.  He  must  have  seen  Bacon,  who,  as  the  dis- 
ciple of  forgotten  Aristotle,  set  in  motion  the  now  irresistible  ball  of  in- 
ductive science,  to  be  given  a  fresh  impulse  by  its  more  modern  expo- 
nent, J.  Stuart  Mill.  Possibly,  too,  he  descried  the  inventions  of  our  re- 
cent times,  and  the  crowning  triumphs  of  Edison,  Bell  and  Gray.  At 
any  rate,  enough  has  long  ago  been  realized  to  justify  the  wise  old  sage's 
encomium  upon  human  enterprise.  Men,  for  the  sake  of  the  truth,  have 
separated  themselves,  not  only  'in  the  sense  of  being  students  of  it,  but  in 
some  cases  this  separation  has  been  literal  and  complete,  involving  total 
isolation  from  society  and  its  advantages,  and  often  a  sacrifice  of  life  itself. 

It  is,  perhaps,  difficult  for  the  average  mind  to  appreciate  the  feeling 
which  prompts  men  \o  suffer  in  the  cause  of  some  favorite  theory.  It  is 
easy  to  understand  the  impulses  which  induce  men  to  fall  for  the  sake  of 
their  firesides,  or  to  bleed  for  the  honor  of  their  native  country.  The  one 
feeling  is  the  domestic  or  paternal  instinct  which  naturally  shields  its 
own;  and  the  other  is  the  almost  universal  sentiment  of  patriotism.  But 

373 


374  TEMERITT  OF  FRANKLIN  AND   CREW. 

to  walk  forward  into  death  or  danger  for  the  sake  of  demonstrating  a 
truth  whose  very  utility  is  not  made  wholly  certain,  implies  a  feeling 
not  so  common,  nor  so  easy  to  analyze. 

Such  a  spirit  was  that  shown  by  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  faithful 
followers,  in  their  last  eventful  voyage,  which,  so  far  as  the  limited  data 
will  permit,  we  are  now  about  to  describe.  It  has  already  been  related 
how  Franklin,  from  the  son  of  a  poor  freeholder,  and  the  position  of 
midshipman,  rose  successively  to  the  ranks  of  Lieutenant  and  Captain,  and 
finally,  having  been  chosen  a  member  of  the  Royal  Society,  was  knighted 
and  became  a  rear-admiral  of  the  Royal  Navy.  His  international  renown 
appears  from  the  fact  that  the  French  Geographical  Society  awarded 
him  their  gold  medal,  and  at  a  subsequent  time  elected  him  correspond- 
ing member  of  the  Institute  of  France.  The  Greek  nation,  also,  whom 
he  had  materially  aided  in  their  war  of  liberation,  gave  him  formal  and 
substantial  token  of  their  appreciation  and  gratitude.  In  1836  he  was 
appointed  Governor  of  Tasmania,  or  Van  Diemen's  Land,  as  it  was  then 
called,  and  although  political  difficulties  disturbed  his  administration  to 
some  extent,  his  wise  and  moderate  control  secured  for  him  the  warm 
approbation  of  the  government,  and  the  lasting  affection  of  his  colonists. 
The  latter  established  a  college  and  a  philosophical  society  in  his  honor; 
and  years  after  they  testified  that  the  memory  of  his  rule  was  still 
cherished  by  subscribing  £  1,700  toward  an  expedition  designed  by 
Lady  Franklin  for  his  rescue  or  discovery. 

The  belief  in  a  Northwest  Passage,  which  had  in  the  early  part  of 
the  nineteenth  century  been  merely  vague  or  conjectural,  had  now  grown 
into  a  settled  conviction.  Franklin's  own  researches  had  done  much  to 
eliminate  the  mysteries  which  had  hitherto  enshrouded  the  northern  coast 
of  the  New  World,  and  only  the  last  few  links  in  the  chain  of  discovery 
were  supposed  to  need  forging  before  the  long  cherished  project  could  re- 
ceive its  full  realization  in  the  proof  of  a  passage  from  Baffin's  Bay  to 
Behring's  Strait. 

In  1845,  accordingly,  the  British  Admiralty  organized  a  new  expedi- 
tion to  make  another  attempt  at  the  Northwest  Passage.  The  leading 
scientific  men  of  England  had  been  urging  the  step  for  more  than  a  year, 


BUST  OF   FRANKLIN. 


375 


376  CHOSEN  BT  THE  ADMZKALTT. 

and  the  necessary  appropriation  having  finally  been  made,  definite  steps 
were  soon  taken  to  begin  the  enterprise.  During  the  time  which  the 
admiralty  had  taken  to  choose  a  commander,  Sir  John,  who  had  lately 
arrived  from  Tasmania,  was  heard  to  remark  that  he  thought  it  due  to 
him  as  the  senior  Arctic  explorer  of  England. 

*  As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  he  would  go  if  asked,  the  admiralty 
were  of  course  only  too  glad  to  avail  themselves  of  the  experience  of 
such  a  man;  but  Lord  Haddington,  with  that  kindness  which  ever  dis- 
tinguished him,  suggested  that  Franklin  might  well  rest  at  home  on  his 
laurels.  '  I  might  find  a  good  excuse  for  not  letting  you  go,  Sir  John, 
said  the  peer,  'in  the  telling  record  which  informs  me  that  you  are  sixty 
years  old.'  'No,  no,  my  lord,'  was  Franklin's  rejoinder,  'I  am  only 
fifty-nine.'  Before  such  earnestness  all  scruples  vanished.  The  offer 
was  officially  made  and  accepted.  To  Sir  John  Franklin  was  confided 
the  Arctic  expedition,  consisting  of  H.  M.  S.  Erebus,  in  which  he  hoisted 
his  pennant,  and  H.  M.  S.  Terror,  commanded  by  Capt.  Crozier,  who 
had  recently  accompanied  Sir  James  Ross  in  his  wonderful  voyage  to  the 
Antarctic  Seas." 

The  two  vessels  were  thoroughly  refitted  and  furnished  with  all  that 
experience  could  suggest  as  useful  or  necessary.  Provisions  for  three 
years  were  made  ready,  and  a  crew  of  over  a  hundred  men  were  chosen 
from  the  very  cream  of  the  British  navy.  Among  the  officers  were 
Lieuts.  Gore  and  Fitzjames,  whose  genius  and  energy  stamped  them  as 
no  common  officers. 

The  ships  left  England  in  May,  and  were  known  by  the  third  of 
July  to  have  reached  a  point  near  Disco,  Greenland,  where  a  small  ship 
which  had  accompanied  them,  took  on  board  the  last  letters  of  the 
officers  and  crews  for  home.  They  were  afterward  seen  in  the  latter 
part  of  July  by  a  whaler,  who  described  them  as  "  moored  to  an  iceberg, 
waiting  for  a  chance  to  enter  Baffin's  Bay."  From  that  day  till  the 
present  not  one  of  that  gallant  band  has  ever  been  seen  alive,  and  not 
till  years  afterward  was  anything  definite  discovered  concerning  their 
fate.  All  that  historians  can  do  is  to  follow  the  ships  in  the  imagina- 
tion by  the  aid  of  the  plans  laid  down  beforehand  for  the  guidance  of  the 


FRANKLIN'S  FAVORITE    THE OR T.  377 

party;  to  conjecture  as  best  they  may  concerning  the  particular  circum- 
stances of  those  last  trying  hours;  and  to  relate  the  sad  stories  of  those 
whose  mournful  discoveries  complete  the  melancholy  scene. 

From  the' instructions  of  the  admiralty,  and  from  the  scanty  record 
left  by  the  lost  explorers,  we  are  able  to  trace  with  comparative  assur- 
ance the  course  of  Franklin  after  he  entered  upon  the  special  object  of 
the  expedition.  We  find  that,  after  the  last  intelligence  of  Sir  John 
Franklin  was  received,  bearing  date  of  July,  1845,  from  the  whalers  in 
Melville  Bay,  his  expedition  passed  on  to  Lancaster  Sound  and  entered 
Wellington  Channel,  of  which  the  southern  entrance  had  been  discov- 
ered by  Sir  Edward  Parry  in  1819.  The  Erebus  and  Terror  sailed  up 
that  strait  for  150  miles,  and  reached,  in  the  autumn  of  1845,  tne  same 
latitude  that  was  attained  eight  years  subsequently  by  H.  M.  S.  Assist- 
ance and  Pioneer.  Whether  Franklin  intended  to  pursue  this  northern 
course,  and  was  only  stopped  by  ice  in  the  latitude  of  77°  N.,  or  pur- 
posely relinquished  a  route  which  led  so  far  away  from  the  already 
known  seas  off  the  coast  of  America,  must  be  a  matter  of  speculation; 
but  the  record  assures  us  that  the  expedition  having  accomplished  this 
examination,  returned  southward  from  latitude  77°,  which  is  at  the  head 
of  Wellington  Channel,  and  re-entered  Barrow's  Strait  by  a  new  chan- 
nel between  Bathurst  and  Cornwallis  Islands. 

It  was  a  favorite  theory  of  Franklin's  that  the  best  way  of  securing 
a  passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  was  by  following  as  nearly  as 
possible  the  coast  line  of  North  America.  Indeed,  it  was  his  opinion, 
and  subsequently  that  of  McClintock,  that  no  passage  by  a  ship  can  ever 
be  accomplished  in  a  more  northern  direction.  Since,  therefore,  when 
Franklin  sailed  in  1845,  t-ne  discovery  of  a  Northwest  Passage  was  re- 
duced to  the  finding  of  a  link  between  Parry's  discoveries  on  the  east 
and  his  own  on  the  west,  it  is  probable  that,  in  obedience  to  orders,  he 
steered  for  the  southwest.  Passing,  as  is  thought,  down  Peel's  Strait  in 
1846,  and  reaching  as  far  as  latitude  70°  5'  north,  and  longitude  98°  23' 
west,  where  the  ships,  as  the  record  shows,  were  beset,  it  is  clear  that  he, 
who  with  others  had  previously  ascertained  the  existence  of  a  channel 
along  the  coast  of  America,  with  which  the  sea  wherein  he  met  his  death 


378  THE  SEARCH. 

had  a  direct  communication,  was  the  first  real  discoverer  of  a  Northwest 
Passage.  As  will  be  seen  in  another  place,  the  gallant  McClure  had 
worked  out  another  passage  long  before  the  course  of  Franklin  came  to 
light.  This  fact,  while  it  is  a  worthy  source  of  honor  to  the  adventu- 
rous Irishman,  must  not  be  allowed  to  detract  from  the  fame  of  those 
who,  as  their  epitaph  fitly  says,  "Forged  the  last  link  with  their  lives."' 

The  account  which  it  is  possible  to  give  of  the  last  days  of  Franklin 
is,  of  necessity,  very  limited.  As  the  expedition  was  provisioned  for 
three  years,  a  year  and  a  half  elapsed  before  any  anxiety  was  felt  con- 
cerning its  welfare;  but  after  a  council  of  naval  officers  had  been  held,  it 
was  decided  that,  should  no  news  arrive  that  summer,  preparations  should 
be  made  for  its  relief.  As  is  generally  known,  the  British  Government 
afterward  fitted  and  sent  out  a  whole  series  of  vessels,  and  spent  immense 
amounts  of  money  in  prosecuting  the  search.  Lady  Franklin  spent  the 
greater  part  of  her  private  fortune,  and  the  United  States  came  bravely 
to  the  front  in  the  Grinnell  expeditions.  Aside  from  their  importance  in 
relation  to  the  grand  object,  these  expeditions  added  immensely  to  geo- 
graphical knowledge,  and  in  general,  were  invaluable  for  their  contribu- 
tions to  science. 

An  account,  as  extended  as  space  will  permit,  will  be  given  of  each 
of  these  daring  ventures  in  their  turn. 

The  writer  deems  it  proper  at  this  point,  to  comment  briefly  upon 
the  results  to  the  world  at  large  of  the  voyages  of  Franklin  and  others. 
The  young  student  and  the  unthinking  of  any  age,  are  apt  to  look  upon 
these  discoveries  as  isolated  in  time  and  causal  relations  from  the  every- 
day knowledge  which  they  possess  on  these  subjects,  and  which  they 
easily  glean  from  the  popular  text-books.  They  should  remember  that 
the  first  certain  knowledge  of  these  regions  was  gained  by  these  self-sac- 
rificing men,  and  many  of  the  now  well-known  individual  facts  were 
gathered  by  them  under  the  trying  circumstances  which  we  have  been 
describing.  The  result  of  Franklin's  researches  for  example  are  not 
alone  nor  chiefly  seen  in  the  account  of  his  voyages,  but  in  the  map,  per- 
fected by  his  bravery  and  diligence,  from  which  the  school-boy  of  every 
nation  cons  his  lesson.  The  conclusions  on  the  subject  of  terrestrial 


COMMENTS   ON  ARCTIC  SCIENCE. 


379 


magnetism  are  not  alone  found  in  the  reports  to  the  admiralty,  but  the 
facts  discovered  and  principles  deduced  form  part  of  the  physics  and  the 
astronomy  of  the  common  school  and  college.  Observations  taken  here 
upon  the  subject  of  botany  have  not  their  sole  lodging-place  in  the  arch- 
ives of  the  Royal  Society.  They  may  be  formulated  and  perhaps  veri- 
fied by  Wood,  Gray,  and  other  modern  disciples  of  Linnaeus;  but  it  was 
the  strong  faith  and  daring  of  Kane  and  Richardson,  that  first  plucked 
the  flowers,  and  made  the  facts  respecting  them  take  their  places  among 
the  vast  assemblage  of  Nature's  witnesses.  The- relation  between  the 
lives  of  these  men  and  the  individual  thought  and-action  of  the  present 
time,  is  far  more  real  and  intimate  than  is  commonly  admitted.  Hence 
the  propriety  of  becoming  acquainted  with  these  heroes,  in  the  story  of 
their  careers;  enabling  us  to  give  them  due  homage,  and  stimulating  us 
as  they  have  done,  to  sacrifice  something  for  the  common  brotherhood. 


CHAPTER    XLII. 

SEARCH    FOR    FRANKLIN LAST  NEWS THREE  EXPEDITIONS  PLANNED 

EXPEDITION    UNDER    RICHARDSON    AND    RAE INSTRUCTIONS  OF 

THE    ADMIRALTY ARRIVE    IN    AMERICA A  TROUBLESOME    SONG- 
STER  METHY    PORTAGE A  CACHE MENDACIOUS    ESQUIMAUX. 

The  prolonged  absence  of  Franklin,  and  the  entire  lack  of  knowledge 
regarding  his  condition  and  exact  whereabouts,  at  last  gave  rise,  as  we 
have  seen,  to  serious  apprehensions  on  the  part  of  the  admiralty.  It  was 
true  the  last  letters  received  from  the  party  were  of  the  most  hopeful, 
buoyant  tone.  The  expedition,  it  will  be  remembered,  sailed  from  Eng- 
land on  the  1 9th  of  May,  1845,  and  early  in  July  had  reached  Whale- 
fish  Island,  near  Disco,  on  the  Greenland  coast  of  Davis'  Straits,  where, 
having  found  a  convenient  port,  the  transport  which  accompanied  it  was 
cleared  and  sent  home  to  England,  bringing  the  last  letters  that  have  been 
received  from  the  officers  or  crew.  The  following  extract  of  a  letter 
from  Lieut.  Fairholme  of  the  Erebus,  will  serve  to  show  the  cheerful 
anticipation  of  success  which  prevailed  throughout  the  party  and  the 
happy  terms  on  which  they  were  with  each  other. 

"  We  have  anchored  in  a  narrow  channel  between  two  of  the  islands, 
protected  on  all  sides  by  land,  and  in  as  convenient  a  place  for  our  pur- 
pose as  could  be  possibly  found.  Here  we  are,  with  the  transport  along- 
side, transferring  most  actively  all  her  stores  to  the  two  ships.  *  *  * 
• "  Of  our  prospects  we  know  little  more  than  when  we  left  England, 
but  look  forward  with  anxiety  to  our  reaching  72°,  where  it  seems  we 
are  likely  to  meet  the  first  obstructions,  if  any  exist.  On  board  we  are 
as  comfortable  as  it  is  possible  to  be.  I  need  hardly  tell  you  how  much 
we  are  all  delighted  with  our  captain.  He  has,  I  am  sure,  won  not  only 
the  respect,  but  the  love  of  every  person  on  board  by  his  amiable  man- 
ner and  kindness  to  all;  and  his  influence  is  always  employed  for  some 

880 


ANXIETY.  381 

good  purpose,  both  among  the  officers  and  men.  He  has  been  most  suc- 
cessful in  his  selection  of  officers,  and  a  more  agreeable  set  could  hardly 
be  found.  Sir  John  is  in  much  better  health  than  when  we  left  England, 
and  really  looks  ten  years  younger.  He  takes  an  active  part  in  every- 
thing that  goes  on,  and  his  long  experience  in  such  services  as  this  makes 
him  a  most  valuable  adviser." 

Letters  from  most  of  the  other  officers,  written  in  a  similar  tone, 
were  received  in  England  at  the  same  time  with  the  above.  An  extract 
of  a  letter  from  Franklin  himself  to  Col.  Sabine,  deserves  to  be  quoted, 
as  expressing  his  own  opinion  of  his  resources,  and  also  his  intention  of 
remaining  out  more  than  a  second  winter,  should  he  not  be  successful  be- 
fore. The  letter  is  dated  from  Whalefish  Islands,  July  9,  1845;  an<^ 
after  noticing  that  the  Erebus  and  Terror  had  on  board  provisions,  fuel, 
clothing,  and  stores  for  three  years  complete,  from  that  date,  he  adds,  "I 
hope  my  dear  wife  and  daughter  will  not  be  anxious  if  we  should  not 
return  by  the  time  they  have  fixed  upon;  and  I  must  beg  of  you  to  give 
them  the  benefit  of  your  advice  and  experience  when  that  time  arrives, 
for  you  well  know  that,  without  success  in  our  object,  even  after  the  sec- 
ond zvinter,  we  should  wish  to  try  some  other  channel  should  the  state 
of  our  provisions  and  the  health  of  our  crews  justify  it." 

The  above  extracts  will  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  prospects  and  hopes 
of  the  parties  when  heard  from  the  last  time  before  entering  Barrow 
Strait.  But  nearly  two  years  having  elapsed  without  tidings,  certain 
experienced  navigators,  among  them  Capt.  John  Ross,  expressed  a  fear 
that  the  party  had  become  entangled  in  the  northwestern  ice,  whence 
they  could  not  advance  nor  retreat.  The  Lords  Commissioners  of  the 
Admiralty,  though  judging  that  the  second  winter  of  Sir  John's  absence 
was  too  early  a  period  to  give  rise  to  well-founded  apprehensions  for  his 
safety,  lost  no  time  in  calling  for  the  opinions  of  several  naval  officers 
who  were  well  acquainted  with  Arctic  navigation,  and  in  concerting 
plans  of  relief  to  be  carried  out  when  the  proper  time  should  arrive. 

It  is  impossible  to  give,  in  our  limited  space,  even  a  synopsis  of  the 
opinions  which  were  the  response  to  this  call  on  the  part  of  the  Lords 
of  Admiralty.  It  must  suffice  to  say  that  after  weighing  all  suggestions 


382  RICHARDSON  APPOINTED. 

and  fully  considering  the  numerous  plans  submitted  to  them,  the  admi- 
ralty determined  that  if  no  intelligence  of  the  missing  ships  arrived  by 
the  close  of  autumn,  1847,  they  would  send  out  three  searching  expedi- 
tions: One  to  Lancaster  Sound,  another  down  the  MacKenzie  River,  and 
a  third  to  Behring's  Strait. 

The  distinguished  services  of  Dr.  John  Richardson,  in  the  expeditions 
made  by  Franklin  in  1819-26,  especially  his  adventures  from  the  Mac- 
Kenzie to  the  Coppermine,  will  not  have  been  forgotten  by  the  reader, 
and  it  is  necessary  only  to  say  of  him  that  he  was  a  brave  and  skillful 
voyager,  an  eminent  and  thorough  naturalist,  and  an  enthusiast  in  the 
project  of  discovering  and  perhaps  rescuing  his  friend  and  former  com- 
panion, Sir  John  Franklin.  In  him,  therefore,  the  admiralty  saw  a  per- 
son well  fitted  to  take  charge  of  one  of  the  proposed  expeditions.  Rich- 
ardson was  already  familiar  with  the  details  of  overland  travel  in  Brit- 
ish America,  and  particularly  in  the  region  of  the  MacKenzie  and  the 
intricate  maze  of  streams  and  lakes  which  diversify  the  face  of  America 
north  of  the  55th  parallel.  He  was,  therefore,  wisely  intrusted  with  the 
expedition  destined  for  the  descent  of  the  MacKenzie.  This  appoint- 
ment was  announced  in  the  formalinstructions  issued  to  him  by  the  Lord 
Admiral,  the  opening  paragraph  of  which  is  appended: 

"  Whereas,  we  think  you  fit  to  be  employed  in  an  overland  expedition 
in  search  of  Her  Majesty's  ships  Erebus  and  Terror,  under  the  command 
of  Capt.  Sir  John  Franklin,  which  ships  are  engaged  in  a  voyage  of  dis- 
covery in  the  Arctic  Seas,  you  are  hereby  required  and  directed  to  take 
under  your  orders  Mr.  Rae,  who  has  been  selected  to  accompany  you, 
and  to  leave  England  on  the  25th  inst.,  by  the  mail  steamer  for  Halifax, 
in  Nova  Scotia,  and  New  York;  and  on  your  arrival  at  the  latter  place, 
you  are  to  proceed  immediately  to  Montreal,  for  the  purpose  of  confer- 
ring with  Sir  Geo.  Simpson,  Governor  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's 
settlements,  and  making  arrangements  with  him  for  your  future  supplies 
and  communications." 

The  general  drift  of  the  instructions  was  to  the  effect  that  from  Can- 
ada, Richardson  was  to  cross  the  country  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  the 
MacKenzie,  which  he  was  to  descend  in  any  way  which  had  been  pro- 


ARRIVE  IN  AMERICA.  383 

vided.  He  was  then  to  coast  along  the  bays  and  sounds  of  the  Arctic 
shore,  taking  care  not  to  extend  the  time  of  his  search  beyond  the  limits 
of  prudence.  The  appointment  of  Mr.  John  Rae  as  second  officer  was  the 
suggestion  of  Dr.  Richardson,  who  knew  him  to  be  peculiarly  qualified 
for  the  service  on  which  he  was  to  be  employed.  He  had  resided  up- 
ward of  fifteen  years  in  Prince  Rupert's  Land,  was  thoroughly  versed 
in  all  the  methods  of  developing  and  turning  to  advantage  the  natural 
products  of  the  country,  a  skillful  hunter,  expert  in  expedients  for  tem- 
pering the  severity  of  the  climate,  an  accurate  observer  with  the  sextant 
and  other  instruments  usually  employed  to  determine  the  latitude  and 
longitude,  or  the  variations  and  dip  of  the  magnetic  needle,  and  had  just 
brought  to  a  successful  conclusion,  under  circumstances  of  unusual  priva- 
tion, an  expedition  of  discovery  fitted  out  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany for  the  purposes  of  exploration.  The  choice,  then,  seemed  a  wise 
one,  and  its  wisdom  was  confirmed  by  subsequent  events. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  1848,  Richardson  and  Rae  left  Liverpool,  and 
landed  at  New  York  on  the  morning  of  the  loth  of  April.  From  this 
point  they  departed  as  soon  as  convenient,  journeying  by  way  of  Lake 
Champlain,  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  chain  of  great  lakes,  until  the 
Cumberland  House,  on  the  Saskatchewan,  was  reached.  They  had  been 
accompanied  up  to  this  point  by  an  escort  of  French,  Indians,  and  half- 
breeds,  procured  in  Canada,  who  had  served  as  guides  and  had  trans- 
ported their  goods.  Their  baggage  included  only  their  clothing,  instru- 
ments and  camping  utensils,  as  provisions  for  the  expedition  were  to  be 
furnished,  as  far  as  convenient  or  possible,  from  the  interior  by  the  agents 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  A  party  of  boats  under  the  supervision 
of  Mr.  Bell  had  already  preceded  them,  and  was  to  co-operate  in  the 
establishing  of  quarters,  and  the  procuring  of  provisions.  This  party 
they  hoped  to  overtake,  so  as  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  their  journey. 
Their  journey,  however,  was  not  destined  to  be  excessively  monotonous, 
for  the  varied  scenery  and  the  dangers  of  canoe  navigation,  soon  be- 
came sufficiently  enlivening.  A  thorough  survey  of  the  country  through 
which  they  passed  was  made  by  Dr.  Richardson,  both  as  to  its  botany 
and  geology,  and  so  far  as  their  limited  means  of  conveyance  would  al- 


384  A    TROUBLESOME  SONGSTER. 

low,  specimens  of  the  plants  and  rocks  were  secured  and  placed  in  their 
little  museum. 

Many  things,  curious  and  unwonted,  were  noted  by  Dr.  Richardson, 
who  kept  a  faithful  diary  of  each  day's  proceedings,  and  of  each  new  ob- 
ject discovered  and  examined.  Ornithology  as  well  as  other  branches  of 
science,  received  his  attention. 

"Constantly,"  says  his  journal,  "since  the  ist  of  June,  the  song  of  the 
f  "ring-ilia  leucophrys  has  been  heard  day  and  night,  and  so  loudly,  in 
the  stillness  of  the  latter  season,  as  to  deprive  us  at  first  of  rest.  It 
whistles  the  first  bar  of  'Oh,  dear!  what  can  the  matter  be?'  in  a  clear 
tone,  as  if  played  on  a  piccolo  fife;  and,  though  the  distinctness  of  the 
notes  rendered  them  at  first  very  pleasing,  yet,  as  they  haunted  us  up  to 
the  Arctic  circle,  and  were  loudest  at  midnight,  we  came  to  wish  occa- 
sionally that  the  cheerful  little  songster  would  time  his  serenade  better. 
It  is  a  curious  illustration  of  the  indifference  of  the  native  population  to 
almost  every  animal  that  does  not  yield  food  or  fur,  or  otherwise  con- 
tribute to  their  comfort  or  discomfort,  that  none  of  the  Iroquois  or  Chip- 
peways  of  our  company  knew  the  bird  by  sight,  and  they  all  declared 
boldly  that  no  one  ever  saw  it.  We  were  enabled,  however,  after  a  little 
trouble,  to  identify  the  songster,  his  song,  and  breeding-place." 

On  the  2yth  of  June  the  party  came  to  the  vicinity  of  Methy  Port- 
age referred  to,  as  the  reader  will  remember,  in  one  of  the  first  of 
Franklin's  voyages.  An  Indian  had  built  a  home  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Methy  River,  and  was  in  the  habit  of  letting  horses  to  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  for  facilitating  the  portage  of  goods.  Our  party 
of  explorers,  however,  received  from  him  the  very  unpleasant  informa- 
tion that  his  horses  had  all  died  from  murrain,  and  that  the  Company's 
animals  were  also  all  disabled.  This  news  was  received  by  Richardson 
with  great  disappointment,  for  he  had  planned  to  reach  the  sea  as  soon  as 
possible,  so  as  to  explore  Wollaston  Land  (across  the  strait  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Coppermine)  this  season.  This  new  circumstance  seemed 
to  represent  a  delay  of  several  weeks,  and  his  scheme  was  likely  to  be 
thwarted.  Coming  up  with  Mr.  Bell  before  the  portage  was  reached, 
he  found  several  of  his  (Bell's)  men  enfeebled  and  lame  from  previous 


A   CACHE.  385 

labor  at  portages,  and  unfitted  for  rendering  any  assistance.  Richard- 
son's own  voyagers,  too,  had  been  engaged  with  the  understanding  that 
they  were  to  I'eturn  as  soon  as  Bell's  boats  were  overtaken.  With  a 
promise  of  extra  pay,  however,  they  were  induced  to  stay  and  assist  in 
the  conveying  of  the  goods  across  to  the  next  attainable  water — a  distance 
of  about  fourteen  miles. 

In  the  equal  distribution  of  the  baggage,  each  man  had  five  pieces  of 
ninety  pounds'  weight  each,  exclusive  of  his  own  bedding  and  clothing, 
and  of  the  boats,  with  their  masts,  sails,  oars,  anchors,  etc.,  which  could 
not  be  transported  in  fewer  than  two  journeys  of  the  whole  party.  The 
practical  Canadians  could  carry  two  pieces  of  ninety  pounds  at  each  trip 
on  such  long  portages,  and  in  shorter  ones  even  a  greater  load  than  this. 
The  Europeans,  however,  could  carry  only  one  piece,  and  thus  had  to 
make  five  trips  with  the  baggage  besides  two  with  the  boats.  Thus  de- 
layed, little  prospect  was  left  of  completing  their  sea-voyage  this  season. 

With  the  usual  quota  of  adventures  the  boats  at  last  reached  Point 
Separation — marking  the  parting  of  the  two  principal  mouths  of  the 
MacKenzie,  on  the  31  st  of  July.  Here,  according  to  instructions  they 
halted  to  tury  a  case  of  pemmican.  The  pit  was  dug  at  the  distance  of 
ten  feet  from  the  best-grown  tree  on  the  point,  and  besides  the  food,  there 
was  placed  in  it  a  bottle  containing  a  memorandum  of  the  objects  of  the 
expedition,  and  such  other  information  as  it  was  thought  would  be  use- 
ful to  other  parties,  should  they  happen  to  reach  this  river.  This  point 
will  be  remembered  as  the  place  of  separation  of  the  parties  of  Franklin 
and  Richardson  in  1826,  when  the  former  explored  toward  Behring's 
Strait,  and  Richardson  examined  the  coast  between  the  MacKenzie  and 
Coppermine.  Apropos  of  performing  his  duty  at  this  time  and  place, 
Richardson  says: 

"We  were  then  full  of  joyous  anticipation  of  the  discoveries  that  lay 
in  our  several  paths,  and  our  crews  were  elated  with  the  hope  of  making 
their  fortunes  by  the  parliamentary  reward  promised  to  those  who  should 
navigate  the  Arctic  Seas  up  to  certain  meridians.  When  we  pushed  off 
the  beach  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  July,  1826,  to  follow  our  separate 
routes,  we  cheered  each  other  with  hearty  good  will,  and  no  misgivings. 
25 


386  DOWN  THE  MACKENZIE. 

Sir  John's  party  fell  some  miles  short  of  the  parliamentary  distance,  and 
he  made  no  claim.  My  party  accomplished  the  whole  space  between  the 
assigned  meridians,  but  the  authorities  decided  that  the  reward  was  not 
meant  for  boats,  but  ships." 

Having  finished  operations  at  the  cache,  the  voyage  was  resumed, 
and  the  boats  passed  down  the  eastern  branch  of  the  MacKenzie. 
Watch  now  began  to  be  kept  for  Esquimaux,  for  Richardson's  previous 
experience  taught  him  that  they  were  in  the  habit  of  frequenting  the 
coast  at  this  time  of  year.  About  two  hundred  natives  were  soon  seen 


ESQUIMAUX   OF   NORTH   AMERICA. 

paddling  out  in  their  kayacks  and  oomiaks.  The  boatmen  were  cautioned 
to  keep  close  together  so  as  not  to  allow  the  Esquimaux  to  overpower 
any  one  if  they  should  seem  so  disposed.  A  lively  barter  was  carried 
on  with  them  by  Richardson  and  Rae,  who  traded  all  manner  of  iron 
implements  for  the  rude  productions  of  the  natives.  These  were  of  no 
use  to  the  whites,  but  it  had  been  found  a  plan  of  policy  to  make  no  gift 
to  the  Esquimaux,  as  the  American  tribes  regarded  it  as  a  mark  of  inferi- 
ority to  receive  a  gift. 

The  inquiries  of  the  party  were  of  course  chiefly  directed  to  obtain- 
ing information  of  the  missing  vessels,  but  the  Esquimaux,  one  and  all, 
denied  ever  having  seen  any  whites,  or  heard  of  any  ships  along  the 


MENDACIOUS  ESQUIMAUX.  387 

coast.  None  of  them  would  acknowledge  being  present  at  the  time 
when  the  attempt  was  made  to  plunder  Franklin's  boats  in  1826;  perhaps 
the  circumstances  of  that  encounter  prevented  them  from  confessing  the 
connection  of  themselves  or  their  relatives  with  that  uncompleted  tragedy. 
One  man  in  answer  to  the  inquiry  for  white  men,  said,  pointing  to 
Richards'  Island — a  small  islet  just  at  the  mouth  of  the  MacKenzie — 
"  A  party  of  white  men  are  living  there."  This  was  known  to  be  a 
falsehood,  as  the  commander  had  landed  there  the  day  previous  without 
having  discovered  any  traces.  The  savage's  motive  was  evidently  to 
induce  them  to  land,  which  they  had  been  invited  to  do  from  the  first  of 
their  interviews  with  the  natives.  According  to  Richardson,  neither  the 
Esquimaux,  nor  certain  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  Arctic  America  feel  the 
least  shame  in  being  detected  in  a  falsehood,  and  invariably  practice  it 
if  they  think  that  thereby  they  can  gain  any  of  their  petty  ends.  Even 
in  their  familiar  intercourse  with  each  other  the  Indians  seldom  tell  the 
truth  in  the  first  instance,  and  if  they  succeed  in  exciting  admiration  or 
astonishment,  their  invention  runs  on  without  end.  From  the  manner  of 
the  speaker,  rather  than  by  his  words,  is  his  truth  or  falsehood  arrived  at; 
and  often  a  continuous  questioning  is  necessary  to  elicit  the  facts. 

No  satisfactory  information  having  been  gathered  from  the  natives, 
the  journey  eastward  along  the  coast  was  continued;  landings  being 
made  sufficiently  often  to  make  complete  and  thorough  both  the  search 
for  the  lost  fleet,  and  the  scientific  examination  of  the  country. 


CHAPTER    XLIII. 

HICHARDSON'S    JOURNEY    TOWARD    THE    COPPERMINE  —  AN    EARLY 

WINTER A   REASONABLE  THEORY CONJECTURES RETURN   TO 

FORT  CONFIDENCE PLAN  FOR  THE  SUMMER RAE5S   EXPEDITION 

CONFER  WITH   ESQUIMAUX RETURN  TO  THE  COPPERMINE 

INTERPRETER    DROWNED LOST    IN    THE  WOODS APPROVAL  OF 

THE  ADMIRALTY. 

As  has  already  been  intimated,  Dr.  Richardson's  account  of  his  jour- 
ney abounds  with  vivid  pictures  of  the  natural  features,  productions,  and 
people,  of  the  regions  through  which  he  passed.  Rocks,  flowers,  trees 
and  natives  were  all  carefully  studied,  and  their  habits,  peculiarities  and 
anomalies  faithfully  portrayed.  In  fact,  most  Arctic  navigators  have 
done  the  same,  and  it  is  to  their  energy,  zeal  and  ability  that  Arctic  sci- 
ence, in  its  various  branches,  owes  its  present  advanced  status.  As  the 
purpose  of  the  present  volume,  however,  is  not  to  treat  of  natural  history, 
nor  geology,  as  such,  an  incidental  mention  of  the  facts  relative  to  these 
sciences  must  suffice. 

Dr.  Richardson  had  hoped  to  reach  the  Coppermine  River,  and  from 
there  to  cross  over  and  explore  Wollaston  Land  the  first  summer.  He 
was  disappointed  to  find  that  the  new  ice  began  to  form  early  in  Septem- 
ber, so  as  not  only  to  impede  his  progress  by  its  own  resistance,  but  by 
cementing  together  in  impenetrable  solidity  the  immense  floes  of  pack- 
ice,  which  had  not  succeeded  in  forcing  their  way  through  the  narrow 
channel  between  the  continent  of  America  and  the  islands,  or  lands  on 
the  north.  The  unavoidable  conclusion  of  the  sea-voyage,  while  still  at 
some  distance  from  the  Coppermine  River,  was  contemplated  by  the 
commander  and  the  entire  crew  with  the  deepest  regret.  It  had  been 
hoped,  that  even  if  no  time  was  left  to  explore  Wollaston  Land,  the  Cop- 
permine, at  least,  could  be  reached,  and  the  boats  left  somewhere  along 


A   REASONABLE    THEORY.  389 

its  banks,  where  they  would  be  available  for  another  summer's  use.  But 
if  they  were  now  abandoned  on  the  coast,  it  could  not  be  expected  that 
they  would  escape  the  searches  of  the  hunting  parties  who  would  follow 
up  the  explorers'  footmarks,  and  who  were  certain  to  break  up  the  boats 
for  the  copper  fastenings.  The  unusual  lateness  of  the  spring,  and  the 
unexpected  delay  at  Methy  Portage,  had  made  the  arrival  at  the  sea  later 
than  had  been  anticipated,  and  in  a  region  where  summer  holds  sway 
only  six  weeks,  even  a  few  days  are  often  of  the  utmost  importance. 
Notwithstanding  the  brevity  of  the  summer,  neither  that,  nor  the  late- 
ness of  their  arrival,  would  have  prevented  the  party  from  crossing  to 
Wollaston  Land,  had  it  been  possible  to  effect  such  a  crossing.  The 
only  hindrance  was  the  unnavigable  condition  of  the  close-packed  ice- 
drift.  A  flat,  smooth  floe  is  often  of  assistance  in  protecting  a  vessel 
from  pressure,  and,  in  case  of  extreme  necessity,  a  boat  can  be  dragged 
over  its  surface  with  good  headway;  but  the  ice  that  obstructed  the 
progress  of  our  explorers  at  this  time,  was  composed  of  hummocky  pieces 
of  irregular  shape,  and  consequently  ready  to  turn  over  and  crush  boat 
or  person  upon  the  least  disturbance. 

Richardson  plainly  remembered  that  on  both  of  his  former  voyages 
to  these  seas,  neither  he  nor  Franklin  had  found  this  condition  pre5ent 
in  the  channels  under  consideration.  On  those  occasions  only  small 
packs  were  visible  here  and  there,  the  general  openness  of  the  sea  afford- 
ing ample  opportunity  for  passage  up  to  a  later  period  than  the  ist  of 
September.  In  seeking  a  reason  for  the  existing  state  of  affairs,  Rich- 
ardson found  himself  able  to  establish  a  reasonable  conjecture  regarding 
the  prolonged  absence  of  the  missing  crew. 

The  theory  of  a  cycle  of  good  and  bad  years  had  already  been 
mooted  by  several  meteorologists,  and  observations  on  the  temperature  of 
a  series  of  years  had  seemed  to  confirm  its  reasonableness.  Eighty  years' 
observation  at  London  showed  that  groups  of  warm  years  alternate  with 
groups  of  cold  ones  in  such  a  way  as  to  render  it  most  probable  that  the 
mean  annual  temperatures  rise  and  fall  in  such  a  manner  as  may  be 
represented  by  a  series  of  elliptical  curves,  corresponding  to  periods  of 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  years;  although  local  or  casual  circumstances 


390  CONJECTURES. 

cause  the  means  to  change  in  particular  years,  and,  indeed,  in  particular 
places  also. 

The  conjecture,  then,  was  that  Franklin  entered  Lancaster  Sound  at 
the  close  of  a  group  of  favorable  years,  when  the  ice  was  in  the  greatest 
state  of  diminution,  and  that,  having  boldly  pushed  on  in  one  of  the  clos- 
ing years  of  the  favorable  cycle,  unexpected  ice  was  produced  during 
the  unfavorable  years  following,  and  thus  an  insurmountable  barrier  to 
his  return  was  made. 

This  conjecture,  while  it  could  not,  of  course,  descend  to  detail  in 
this  particular  case, seems  to  have  been  the  correct  one;  for  (to  anticipate 
our  narrative)  it  was  afterward  found  that  Franklin's  vessels  actually 
were  beset  by  ice  in  September,  1846,  and  that  too  in  a  much  lower  lati- 
tude than  was  at  this  time  reached  by  Richardson.  It  will  be  found, 
also,  that  the  explorers  for  the  next  few  years,  from  1848-57,  found  the 
springs  very  backward,  and  the  winters  exceedingly  long  and  severe. 
The  experiences  of  Kane  in  northern  latitudes  for  three  different  winters 
may  be  hereafter  cited  as  cases  in  point.  We  have  here  to  do,  however, 
not  with  theories,  but  with  facts,  and  the  practical  problem  of  how  to 
find  Franklin  and  convey  relief  to  him,  was  the  all  important  question 
which  presented  itself  to  the  admiralty  and  those  representing  them 
upon  the  seas. 

As  we  have  seen,  circumstances  compelled  the  party  to  desist  from 
further  undertakings  this  fall,  and  preparations  were  made  to  journey  by 
land  back  to  Ft.  Confidence,  where  Mr.  Bell  was  supposed  to  be  pre- 
paring winter  quarters  for  the  voyagers.  Burying  a  quantity  of  pem- 
mican,  and  also  of  ammunition,  near  the  places  where  the  boats  were  to 
be  left,  they  started  on  the  third  of  September,  carrying  everything 
which  their  strength  would  permit.  After  a  tedious  journey,  made  more 
so  by  the  heavy  burdens  which  they  bore,  they  arrived  at  Ft.  Confidence 
on  the  1 5th.  Here  they  found  Mr.  Bell,  who  had  reached  the  site  on 
the  i yth  of  August,  and  had  immediately  set  to  work.  Since  that  time 
he  had  built  an  ample  storehouse,  two  houses  for  the  men,  and  a  dwell- 
ing house  for  the  officers,  consisting  of  a  hall,  three  sleeping  apartments, 
and  a  storeroom.  Dispatches  and  letters  were  now  made  ready,  and  on 


PLAN  FOR   THE  SUMMER.  391 

the  1 8th  were  taken  in  charge  by  men  chosen  for  the  purpose,  to  be 
conveyed  to  the  British  settlements. 

Here,  then,  at  Ft.  Confidence,  the  winter  of  1848-9  was  passed; 
nothing  of  striking  importance  occurring  to  break  the  monotony  of  a 
characteristic  season  in  the  wilds  of  North  America. 

The  return  of  summer  brought  with  it  the  necessity  of  deciding  upon 
some  course  of  action  for  the  further  prosecution  of  the  search.  It  was  still 
thought  best  to  visit  Wollaston  Land,  but  in  the  absence  of  their  boats, 
the  method  of  procedure  grew  into  a  perplexing  problem.  Had  they 
succeeded  in  taking  their  boats  up  the  Coppermine,  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  Esquimaux,  according  to  their  expectations  when  the  plan  of  search 
was  formed,  the  voyage  might  have  been  resumed  in  the  summer  df  1849, 
with  two  or  three  boats;  and  in  that  case,  the  whole  party  might  have 
gone,  and  so  have  aided  one  another  among  the  floes.  But  as  they  had 
been  compelled  to  leave  their  craft  in  September,  without  the  smallest 
hope  of  its  being  found  again  in  a  seaworthy  condition,  and  having  only 
one  boat  remaining  that  could  be  employed  on  the  service,  it  became  nec- 
essary to  determine  which  of  the  two  leading  officers,  Dr.  Richardson  or 
Mr.  Rae,  should  take  charge  of  that  vessel  and  the  small  party  it  could 
contain.  Setting  aside  personal  considerations,  and  looking  only  to  the 
means  of  providing  for  the  examination  of  as  large  a  portion  of  the  Arctic 
Sea  as  could  be  accomplished,  Dr.  Richardson  had  not  much  hesitation  in 
deciding  in  favor  of  Mr.  Rae.  His  ability  and  zeal  were  unquestiona- 
ble; he  was  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  his  personal  activity,  and  his  skill  as 
a  hunter,  fitted  him  peculiarly  for  such  an  enterprise. 

Mr.  Rae  had  already  during  the  winter  explored  the  country  be- 
tween Ft.  Confidence  and  the  Coppermine  River,  in  order  to  select  the 
best  route  for  dragging  the  boat  over  in  the  spring.  In  April  he  con- 
veyed provisions,  boat-stores,  and  other  necessaries  across  the  country  to 
one  of  the  streams  tributary  to  the  Coppermine,  and  a  convenient  place 
for  landing,  in  the  event  of  the  ice  breaking  up.  These  he  left  in  charge 
of  two  of  his  men  and  two  Indian  hunters,  who  were  to  be  engaged  in 
the  meantime,  in  obtaining  and  curing  the  flesh  of  the  reindeer  and 
musk-ox,  for  summer  use.  Having  to  wait  many  weeks  for  the  opening 


393  INTERVIEW   WITH   ESQUIMAUX. 

.  of  the  rivers,  it  was  the  middle  of  July  before  the  sea  was  reached,  and,' 
as  the  ice  in  the  channels  was  still  impenetrable,  several  weeks  more 
were  occupied  in  exploring  the  various  rivers  which  had  their  mouths 
near  the  point  where  the  Coppermine  finds  an  outlet. 

Their  advance  along  the  coast,  when  once  it  began,  was  very  slow, 
owing  to  the  still  comparatively  impenetrable  condition  of  the  ice;  and 
the  place  where  the  boats  were  left  the  preceding  autumn,  was  not 
reached  until  the  24th  of  July.  The  boats  were  found  much  broken  up 
by  the  action  of  the  ice,  which  had  invaded  the  inlet  where  they  were 
left,  and  also  by  the  Esquimaux,  who  had  dismantled  them  of  large  por- 
tions of  woodwork,  that  they  might  obtain  the  iron  and  copper  used  :n 
their  construction.  The  tents,  oil-cloths,  and  part  of  the  sails  still  re- 
mained uninjured,  and  were  made  extremely  useful  to  Mr.  Rae,  who 
was  ill  supplied  with  these  articles.  The  cache  of  pemmican  and  pow- 
der was  also  untouched,  its  covering  of  snow  probably  causing  it  to  es- 
cape detection. 

Passing  on  to  the  west,  they  soon  came  to  the  point  where  the  search 
had  been  concluded  the  previous  season,  being  also  the  most  convenient 
though  not  the  nearest  point  from  which  Wollaston  Land  could  be 
reached.  Indeed,  it  was  not  only  unnecessary  to  go  further,  but  also  im- 
possible; for  the  junction  here  of  the  rough  hummocks  on  one  side  and 
the  steep  cliffs  on  the  other,  made  further  thought  of  passage  useless. 
They  pitched  their  tents  on  the  top  of  a  cliff  and  waited  for  the  first 

favorable  change  in  the  sea. 

i 

A  few  days  after  this  the  Esquimaux  interpreter  and  one  of  the  men, 
when  some  distance  inland  looking  for  game,  overtook  five  Esquimaux, 
who  were  traveling  toward  the  interior  with  a  load  of  fish.  From  these 
it  was  found  that  the  sea-ice  had  begun  breaking  up  only  the  day  before 
the  party  had  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine.  These  natives 
also  testified  that  they  had  been,  during  the  winter,  in  company  with  the 
Esquimaux  of  Wollaston  Land,  and  that  the  latter  had  never  seen  Euro- 
peans, large  ships,  or  boats. 

Their  detention  here  was  very  long  and  tedious.  Several  gales  of 
wind  occurred  from  the  south,  but  the  space  of  open  water  was  so  small 


393 


394  RETURN  TO   THE  COPPERMINE. 

that  little  effect  upon  the  ice  was  observable.  The  situation  was  tanta- 
lizing in  the  extreme  to  all  the  party.  Occasionally  at  the  time  of  the 
tide. a  lead  of  water  would  appear,  a  mile  or  so  in  length,  and  wide 
enough  to  admit  of  the  passage  of  a  boat.  Everything  would  be  at 
once  prepared  for  launching;  when  suddenly,  some  adverse  circumstance 
would  cause  the  opening  to  grow  narrow,  until  no  longer  safe  for  boat 
or  man  to  venture  in. 

The  ice  continued  drifting  to  and  fro  with  the  tides,  without  separat- 
ing sufficiently  to  allow  of  passing  among  it,  till  the  igth  of  August, 
when  there  seemed  to  be  more  open  water  to  seaward  than  had  yet  been 
seen.  After  waiting  for  some  Hours  for  a  troublesome  pack  near  the 
shore,  to  disperse,  they  at  last  pushed  off;  and  after  many  narrow  escapes 
from  being  squeezed,  they  at  last  reached  comparatively  open  water, 
where  they  had  soon  to  use  their  oars.  They  had  pulled  more  than 
seven  miles,  when  they  came  to  a  stream  of  ice,  so  close  packed  and  so 
rough  that  they  could  neither  pass  over  nor  through  it.  Under  these 
circumstances  it  was  thought  advisable  to  return  to  the  mam  shore, 
where  they  landed  the  next  day.  On  the  very  next  day  wind  began  to 
blow  from  the  northeast,  and  in  four  hours  not  a  perch  of  open  water 
was  to  be  seen — nothing  but  a  continuous  sheet  of  white,  solid  drift  ice. 

As  the  fine  weather  had  now  evidently  broken  up,  no  course  remained 
but  to  retreat  to  the  Coppermine  and  Ft.  Confidence.  An  accident  oc- 
curred in  ascending  the  Coppermine  which  had  even  more  effect  in 
dampening  the  spirits  of  the  party  than  the  failure  to  reach  Wollaston 
Land.  They  had  successfully  ascended  the  river  to  what  was  known  as 
the  "Bloody  Falls,"  marking  the  beginning  of  a  series  of  intricate  and 
dangerous  rapids.  It  had  been  the  custom,  in  former  ascents  of  these 
rapids,  to  draw  the  boats  along  the  bank,  till  the  most  difficult  portion  was 
passed,  and  then  to  launch  the  boat  and  tow  it  up  over  the  remainder  of  the 
distance.  As  the  boat  of  our  voyagers  was  exceedingly  worn  and  unsub- 
stantial, it  was  thought  best  to  do  the  same  in  this  case.  All  that  appeared 
to  be  of  any  difficulty  was  easily  accomplished,  and  there  was  only  one 
short  place  to  be  ascended,  which  was  so  smooth  that  a  loaded  boat  might 
have  passed  it;  here,  however,  from  some  unaccountable  cause,  the 


THE  INTERPRETER  DROWNED.  395 

steersman  was  seized  with  a  sudden  panic,  and  called  to  those  towing 
the  boat  to  slack  the  line.  This  was  no  sooner  done  sufficiently  to  allow 
him  to  get  firm  footing,  than  he  leaped  on  shore,  followed  by  the  bow- 
man, and  allowed  the  boat  to  sheer  into  the  current,  when  the  line  broke, 
and  the  boat  was  hurried  down  stream  into  an  eddy.  To  this  point  Rae 
and  Albert,  the  interpreter,  ran,  and  stationed  themselves  at  two  points  of 
rock  near  which  the  wreck  would  pass.  Misunderstanding  an  order  of 
the  commander,  the  Esquimaux  leaped  into  the  boat  when  it  was  near 
enough,  and  both  were  swept  away  together.  The  native  was  finally 
thrown  out  and  sank,  not  to  appear  again.  The  occurrence  was  much 
regretted,  as  the  young  man  was  greatly  liked  for  his  activity,  lively  and 
amiable  disposition,  and  extreme  goodness. 

Rae's  failure  to  cross  to  Wollaston  Land,  is  attributable,  not  at  all  to 
lack  of  skill  or  bravery — but  to  the  impassable  condition  of  the  ice  in 
the  strait  which  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  traverse.  His  mortifica- 
tion from  his  failure  was  very  keen,  and  much  more  severe  than  he  saw 
fit  to  display  in  his  official  report.  He  was,  in  reality,  a  very  brave  and 
intelligent  man,  and  received,  as  he  deserved,  the  approbation  of  the 
British  Government. 

Having  now  finished  the  story  of  Mr.  Rae's  search  voyage,  we 
revert  to  the  experiences  of  Dr.  Richardson,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
party,  during  the  summer  of  1849.  On  the  yth  of  May  they  took  their 
leave  of  Rae,  who  had  not  vet  left  Ft.  Confidence  to  descend  the  Cop- 
permine, and  proceeded  to  Ft.  Franklin,  on  the  opposite  side  of  Great 
Bear  Lake.  As  they  anticipated  some  difficulty  in  navigating  Bear  Lake 
River,  which  flows  out  of  Great  Bear  Lake  into  the  MacKenzie,  a  few 
miles  below  Ft.  Norman,  a  barge  had  been  ordered  which  was  to  meet 
them  at  the  head  of  the  river.  They  waited  over  a  month  for  the  barge 
when  some  men  appeared  who  reported  that  the  river  was  not  yet  open. 
They  now  decided  to  descend  the.  river  at  once,  and  send  the  barge, 
back  for  the  stores.  Most  of  the  expedition  started  in  a  fishing-boat; 
but  two  of  them  were  instructed  to  follow  along  the  bank  of  the  river 
on  foot,  each  carrying  with  him  his  own  bedding  and  provision.  One 
of  the  men,  named  Brodie,  struck  into  the  interior  to  avail  himself  of  a 


396  APPROVAL  OF  THE  ADMIRALTY. 

short  cut,  and  not  soon  rejoining  the  party,  was  supposed  to  be  lost,  and 
considerable  apprehension  was  felt  for  his  safety.  It  was  afterward 
found  that,  when  he  detected  the  fact  of  his  walking  in  the  wrong  di- 
rection, he  began  to  run,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  till  he  came  to  the 
bank  of  a  tortuous  stream,  and  being  a  fearless  swimmer,  swam  across  it, 
carrying  his  clothes  on  his  head.  The  river  coming  again  in  his  way, 
he  crossed  it  a  second  time  in  like  manner,  but  on  the  last  occasion  his 
bundle  slipped  .away  from  him,  and  floated  off,  while  he  regained  the 
bank  in  a  state  of  perfect  nudity.  After  a  few  moments'  reflection  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  without  clothes  he  must  perish,  and  that  he 
might  as  well  be  drowned  in  trying  to  recover  them,  as  to  attempt  pro- 
ceeding naked.  On  this  he  plunged  in  again,  and  this  time  succeeded  in 
landing  safely  with  his  habiliments.  He  soon  discovered  his  whereabouts, 
and  rejoined  the  party. 

This  adventure  is  related  to  illustrate  what  a  traveler  in  these  wilds 
was  liable  to  encounter,  and  as  an  example  of  what  happened  to  all  ot 
the  seamen  of  this  expedition.  None  of  them  could  be  taught  that  they 
were  liable  to  such  accidents,  till  they  learned  it  by  experience.  One 
man  who  thus  strayed  was,  when  found,  contentedly  steering  for  the 
moon,  which  being  near  the  horizon,  and  streaming  red  through  the  for- 
est, was  mistaken  by  him  for  the  fire  of  the  men's  bivouac. 

The  ascent  of  the  MacKenzie,  and  the  subsequent  journey  to  Can- 
ada, and  finally  back  to  Great  Britain,  was  not  attended  with  any  inci- 
dent worthy  of  note,  and  the  party  of  Richardson  landed  at  Liverpool 
on  the  6th  of  November,  after  an  absence  of  nineteen  months,  twelve  of 
them  passed  in  incessant  traveling.  Richardson  made  no  delay  in  pre- 
senting himself  to  the  admiralty,  and  making  a  full  report  of  his  pro- 
ceedings, which  elicited  from  their  lordships  a  uniform  expression  of 
approbation.  His  narrative  was  afterward  published  in  book  form, 
which  volume,  with  its  rich  fund  of  incident  and  adventure,  and  thor- 
ough analysis  of  all  observed  phenomena,  stands  among  the  classics  of 
Arctic  literature. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

EXPEDITION     UNDER    SIR    JAMES    C.    ROSS INSTRUCTIONS    OF    THE    AD- 
MIRALTY  PREPARATIONS UPERNAVIK — IN   A  PACK MAXWELL 

BAY A   NOVEL    EXPEDIENT SPRING    OCCUPATIONS THREE    SUR- 
VEYING   PARTIES AN    ARCTIC  HOUSE WELLINGTON    CHANNEL 

NIPS IMPRISONED A     MIRACULOUS     ESCAPE A     FORCED     RE- 
TREAT  COMMENTS    ON    ARCTIC    NAVIGATION. 

Prominent  among  those  who  engaged  in  the  discussion  concerning 
the  probable  whereabouts  of  Franklin,  and  in  the  eventual  efforts  made 
to  relieve  that  distinguished  navigator,  was  Sir  James  C.  Ross,  of  whom 
special  mention  has  already  been  made.  The  three  expeditions  planned 
in  1847,  and  executed  in  1848,  have  been  referred  to  in  a  preceding 
chapter.  They  were  based  mainly  upon  the  instructions  under  which 
Franklin  sailed,  upon  known  conditions  existing  in  the  northern  seas, 
and  upon  the  conjectured  course  of  Franklin,  in  case  of.  failure  or 
emergency. 

The  expedition  which  was  regarded  at  the  time  as  of  most  impor- 
tance, was  the  one  destined  to  Lancaster  Sound.  It  had  for  its  object  to 
take  up  the  route  followed  by  Franklin,  and  by  diligently  searching 
for  any  signal-posts  he  might  have  erected,  to  trace  him  out  and  carry 
the  required  relief  to  his  exhausted  crews.  For  such  an  enterprise  as  this, 
none  were  thought  to  be  better  fitted  by  ability  and  experience  than  the 
daring  commander  whose  name  heads  the  chapter.  In  company  with 
his  distinguished  uncle,  he  had  already  traversed  many  portions  of  the 
globe,  and  had  acquainted  himself  extensively  and  in  a  practical  manner 
with  all  branches  of  the  nautical  science.  Pertinent  to  this  particular 
undertaking,  he  had  planted  the  British  flag  upon  the  magnetic  pole,  and 
had  learned  by  experience  the  peculiarities  of  Arctic  sailing,  and  the 
manceuvers  necessary  among  the  ice-barriers  of  the  north.  Considering 

397 


398 


INSTRUCTIONS. 


these  qualifications,  as  well  as  the  practical  wisdom  exhibited  in  Ross' 
discussion  of  the  then  all-absorbing  question,  the  admiralty  had  no  hesi- 
tation in  placing  him  at  the  head  of  this  important  expedition. 

The  facts  upon  which  his  plan  was  based  will  sufficiently  appear  from 
the  following  quotations,  drawn  from  his  letter  of  advice  to  the  admi- 
ralty: "As  vessels  destined  to  follow  the  track  of  the  expedition  must 
necessarily  encounter  the  same  difficulties,  and  be  liable  to  the  same  se- 
vere pressure  from  the  great  body  of  ice  they  must  pass  through  in  their 
way  to  Lancaster  Sound,  it  is  desirable  that  two  ships  of  not  less  than 
500  tons  be  purchased  for  this  service,  and  fortified  and  equipped  in  every 
respect  as  were  the  Erebus  and  Terror  for  Antarctic  seas. 

"Each  ship  should,  in  addition,  be  supplied  with  a  small  vessel  or 
launch  of  about  twenty  tons,  which  she  could  hoist  in,  to  be  fitted  with  a 
steam  engine  and  boiler  often-horse  power,  for  a  purpose  to  be  hereafter 
noticed. 

"The  ships  should  sail  at  the  close  of  April,  1848,  and  proceed  to 
Lancaster  Sound  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  carefully  searching  both 
shores  of  that  extensive  inlet,  and  of  Barrow's  Strait,  and  then  progress 
to  the  westward. 

"As  soon  as  the  formation  of  water  along  the  coast  between  the  land 
and  the  main  body  of  the  ice  admitted,  the  small  steam  launch  should 
be  dispatched  into 'Lancaster  Sound,  to  communicate  with  the  whale 
ships  at  the  usual  time  of  their  arrival  in  those  regions,  by  which  means 
information  of  the  safety  or  return  of  Sir  John  Franklin  might  be  con- 
veyed to  the  ships  before  their  liberation  from  their  winter  quarters,  as 
well  as  any  further  instructions  the  Lords  Commissioners  might  be 
pleased  to  send  for  their  future  guidance. 

"  The  easternmost  ship  having  been  safely  secured  in  winter  quarters, 
the  other  ship  should  proceed  alone  to  the  westward,  and  endeavor  to 
reach  Winter  Harbor,  in  Melville  Island,  or  some  convenient  port  in 
Bank's  Land,  in  which  to  pass  the  winter. 

"  From  this  point,  also,  parties  should  be  dispatched  early  in  spring, 
before  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice.  The  first  should  trace  the  western 
coast  of  Bank's  Land,  and,  proceeding  to  Cape  Bathurst,  or  some  other 


PREPARATIONS.  399 

conspicuous  point  on  the  continent,  previously  agreed  on  with  Sir  John 
Richardson,  reach  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  settlement  of  Ft.  Good 
Hope,  on  the  MacKenzie,  whence  they  may  travel  southward  by  the 
usual  route  of  the  traders  to  York  Factory,  and  thence  to  England,  as 
soon  as  convenient. 

"  The  second  party  should  explore  the  eastern  shore  of  Bank's  Land, 
and  making  for  Cape  Krusenstern,  communicate  with  Sir  John  Rich- 
ardson's party  on  its  descending  the  Coppermine  River,  and  either  assist 
him  in  completing  the  examination  of  Wollaston  and  Victoria  Land,  or 
return  to  England  by  any  route  he  should  direct. 

"  These  two  parties  would  pass  over  that  space  in  which  most  proba- 
bly the  ships  have  become  involved,  if  at  all,  and  would,  therefore,  have 
the  best  chance  of  communicating  to  Sir  John  Franklin  information  of 
the  measures  that  have  been  adopted  for  his  relief,  and  of  directing  him 
to  the  best  point  to  proceed,  if  he  should  consider  it  necessary  to  abandon 
his  ships. 

"  Other  parties  may  be  dispatched,  as  might  appear  desirable  to  the 
commander  of  the  expedition,  according  to  circumstances;  but  the  steam 
launches  should  certainly  be  employed  to  keep  up  the  communication 
between  the  ships,  to  transmit  such  information  for  the  guidance  of  each 
other  as  might  be  necessary  for  the  safety  and  success  of  the  under- 
taking." 

This  plan  has  been  given  thus  fully,  partly  because  it  foreshadows 
and  explains  the  voyage  about  to  be  described,  and  partly  because  it 
shows  with  what  completeness  of  detail  and  grasp  of  the  subject  these 
enterprising  statesmen  were'wont  to  project  their  schemes.  Owing  to 
varying  circumstances  all  the  details  of  this  scheme  could  not  be  fully 
carried  out;  for,  as  we  have  seen  already,  Richardson  did  not  begin  the 
exploration  of  Wollaston  Land,  nor  did  he  have  opportunity  to  com- 
municate with  Ross'  vessels  at  all,  and  it  was  not  until  after  his  return  to 
England  that  he  became  fully  apprised  of  the  proceedings  of  that  officer, 
and  of  the  state  of  the  search. 

The  work  of  fitting  up  vessels  for  the  use  of  the  expedition  began 
early  in  the  season  of  1848;  but  as  very  elaborate  preparations  were 


400  IN  A  PACK. 

made,  the  arrangements  were  not  completed  until  June.  The  vessels 
chosen  were  the  Enterprise,  of  450  tons,  and  the  Investigator,  of  480 
tons  burthen,  and  the  combined  crews  and  officers  numbered  135  souls. 
Ross  raised  his  pennant  in  the  Enterprise;  and  with  him  were  Lieuts. 
M'Clure,  M'Clintock  and  Browne,  of  the  former  two  of  whom  more 
will  be  heard  hereafter.  The  Investigator  was  commanded  by  Capt. 
E.J.  Bird. 

The  expedition  raised  sail  on  the  I2th  of  June,  and  reached  the  Dan- 
ish settlement  of  Upernavik,  situated  on  one  of  the  group  of  Woman's 
Islands,  on  the  western  shore  of  Baffin's  Bay,  on  the  6th  of  July.  Pass- 
ing through  this  maze  of  islands  and  ice  they  were  made  fast  on  the 
2Oth  to  an  iceberg  aground  of  Cape  Shackleton.  During  the  next  few 
days  vessels  were  towed  by  their  launches  through  streams  of  loose  ice, 
and  on  the  26th  of  July  had  reached  the  three  islands  of  Baffin,  in  lati- 
tude 74°  N.  The  season  had  now  become  so  far  advanced,  and  progress 
was  so  materially  impeded  by  calms  and  light  winds,  that  hope  of  accom- 
plishing much  before  winter  should  set  in,  was  precluded. 

No  pains  were  spared,  however,  to  use  every  opportunity  of  pushing 
forward ;  and  finally,  on  the  2oth  of  August,  a  heavy  breeze  arose  which 
drove  the  ships  through  a  thick  pack  of  ice,  in  the  midst  of  which,  had 
they  been  compelled  to  stop,  both  ships  would  have  been  inevitably 
crushed.  As  it  was,  some  damage  was  received  by  them,  though  for- 
tunately neither  was  disabled.  Having  now  crossed  Baffin's  Bay.,  the 
ships  stood  in  to  Pond's  Inlet;  but  though  they  kept  close  to  shore,  and 
made  repeated  signals,  no  vestige  of  Esquimaux  or  other  human  beings 
could  be  seen.  On  the  26th  they  arrived  off  Possession  Bay,  and  a  party 
was  sent  on  shore  to  search  for  any  traces  of  the  expedition  having 
touched  at  this  general  point  of  rendezvous.  Nothing  was  found  here 
except  the  paper  recording  the  visit  of  Sir  Edward  Parry,  on  that  very 
day  (the  3Oth)  in  1819.  They  examined  the  coast  westward  from  this 
point  with  great  care,  and  on  the  ist  of  September  arrived  off  Cape 
York  (on  Lancaster  Sound),  leaving  here  abundant  landmarks  for  the 
benefit  of  any  who  might  follow  them. 

"  We  now, "  says  Ross,  "stood  over  toward  Northeast  Cape,  until  we 


26 


401 


4(2  A  NOVEL  EXPEDIENT. 

came  in  with  the  edge  of  a  pack  too  dense  for  us  to  penetrate,  lying  be- 
tween us  and  Leopold  Island,  about  fourteen  miles  broad ;  we  therefore 
coasted  the  north  shore  of  Barrow's  Strait,  to  seek  a  harbor  further  to 
the  westward,  and  to  examine  the  numerous  inlets  of  that  shore.  Max- 
well Bay  and  several  smaller  indentations,  were  thoroughly  explored, 
and,  although  we  got  near  the  entrance  of  Wellington  Channel,  the  firm 
barrier  of  ice  which  stretched  across  and  had  not  broken  away  this  sea- 
son, convinced  us  that  all  was  impracticable  in  that  direction.  We  now 
stood  to  the  southwest  to  seek  for  a  harbor  near  Cape  Rennell,  but  found 
a  heavy  body  of  ice  extending  from  the  west  of  Cornwallis  Land  in  a 
compact  mass,  to  Leopold  Island.  Coasting  along  the  pack  during 
stormy  and  foggy  weather,  we  had  difficulty  in  keeping  the  ships  free 
during  the  night,  for  I  believe  so  great  a  quantity  of  ice  was  never  before 
seen  in  Barrow's  Strait  at  this  period  of  the  season." 

Fortune  at  last  smiled  upon  them,  and  the  pack  was  passed  in  safety. 
The  ships  were  secured  in  Leopold  Harbor  on  the  nth  of  September — 
a  most  desirable  situation,  being  at  the  junction  of  the  four  great  chan- 
nels of  Barrow's  Strait,  Lancaster  Sound,  Prince  Regent  Inlet,  and 
Wellington  Channel.  In  case  Franklin,  having  abandoned  his  ships, 
should  attempt  a  retreat  through  any  one  of  the  above-mentioned  chan- 
nels, it  was  plain  that  he  must  be  apprised  of  the  presence  of  these  ships 
in  the  vicinity. 

On  the  very  day  following  this  fortunate  occurrence,  the  main  pack 
closed  in  with  the  land,  and  completely  sealed  the  mouth  of  the  harbor. 
As  the  beginning  of  the  long  Arctic  night  was  near  at  hand,  haste  was 
now  made  to  complete  the  preparations  for  the  winter.  This  was  accom- 
plished on  the  1 2th  of  October,  about  the  time  when  the  sun  sank  out  of 
sight  for  his  long  period  of  alienation.  The  winter  was  usefully  spent  in 
exploring  on  foot  all  the  inlets  and  unknown  points  in  reach,  both  with 
reference  to  discovering  traces  of  Franklin,  and  also  in  order  to  promote 
the  accuracy  of  the  British  charts.  A  novel  expedient  was  adopted  for 
the  purpose  of  extending  to  the  lost  navigators  knowledge  of  the  prox- 
imity of  assistance.  Ross  caught  large  numbers  of  white  foxes,  and, 
after  inscribing  copper  collars  with  information  concerning  the  where- 


PRINCE  REGENTS  INLET.  403 

abouts  of  the  ships  and  the  depot  of  provisions,  and  clinching  them  about 
the  necks  of  the  animals,  released  them.  It  was  known  that  a  party,  in 
case  of  dearth  of  food,  would  naturally  seek  much  after  these  animals,  and 
it  was  hoped  that  the  four-footed  messengers  might  be  of  service  in  trans- 
mitting the  desired  intelligence.  The  same  idea  was  used  by  Parry 
years  before.  He  had  left  medals  with  the  Esquimaux  on  the  shores 
which  he  visited,  so  that  in  case  a  rescue  party  was  necessary,  they  might 
the  more  readily  come  upon  the  desired  data. 

The  months  of  April  and  May  were  occupied  by  Capt.  Ross,  Lieut. 
M'Clintock  and  a  party  of  twelve  men,  in  examining  and  thoroughly 
exploring  all  the  inlets  and  smaller  indentations  of  the  northern  and 
western  coasts  of  Boothia  Peninsula,  in  which  any  ships  might  have 
found  shelter.  From  the  high  land  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cape  Bunny, 
Capt.  Ross  obtained  a  very  extensive  view,  and  observed  that  the  whole 
space  between  it  and  Cape  Walker  to  the  west,  and  Wellington  Chan- 
nel to  the  north,  was  occupied  by  very  heavy,  hummocky  ice. 

"The  examination  of  the  coast,"  says  Sir  James,  "was  pursued  until 
the  5th  of  June,  when,  having  consumed  more  than  half  our  provisions, 
and  the  strength  of  the  party  being  much  reduced,  I  was  reluctantly 
compelled  to  abandon  further  operations,  as  it  was,  moreover,  necessary 
to  give  the  men  the  day  of  rest.  But  that  the  time  might  not  be  wholly 
lost,  I  proceeded  with  two  hands  to  the  extreme  south  point  in  sight 
from  our  encampment,  distant  about  eight  or  nine  miles." 

This  extreme  point  is  situated  in  latitude  72°  38'  N.,  and  longitude 
95°  40'  W.,  and  is  on  the  west  face  of  a  small  elevated  peninsula.  The 
state  of  the  atmosphere  being,  at  the  time  of  Ross' observation,  peculiarly 
favorable  for  distinctness  of  vision,  land  of  any  great  elevation  might 
have  been  seen  at  the  distance  of  100  miles.  Bearing  nearly  due  south 
from  here,  about  fifty  miles  away,  Ross  discovered  the  highest  cape  on 
the  coast.  Prince  Regent's  Inlet  was  found  to  be  separated  from  the 
western  seas  by  a  narrow  neck  of  land.  Upon  examination  the  ice  in 
this  quarter  proved  to  be  eight  feet  thick.  A  conspicuous  cairn  of  stones 
was  erected  in  the  vicinity,  and  on  the  6th  of  June  they  began  their  re- 
turn to  the  ships.  Here  they  arrived  after  a  journey  of  seventeen  days, 


404  RELICS   OF  FORMER    VOTAGES. 

so  completely  worn  out  by  fatigue  that  for  several  weeks  every  man  was, 
for  some  cause  or  other,  in  the  doctor's  hands.  Upon  their  arrival 
they  found  that  during  their  absence  Mr.  Matthias,  the  assistant  surgeon 
of  the  Enterprise,  had  died  of  consumption,  and  that  the  health  of  many 
more  was  declining. 

While  Ross  was  absent  Commander  Bird  had  dispatched  several  sur- 
veying parties  in  different  directions.  Lieut.  Barnard  took  charge  of  the 
first,  which  proceeded  along  the  north  coast  of  Barrow  Strait,  cross- 
ing the  ice  to  Cape  Hurd;  Lieut.  Browne  led  a  second  to  the  extreme 
shore  of  Prince  Regent's  Inlet;  and  a  third  party  of  six  men,  conducted 
by  Lieut.  Robinson  along  the  western  shore  of  the  inlet,  extended  their 
examination  of  the  coast  as  far  as  Creswell  Bay,  several  miles  to  the 
southward  of  Fury  Beach.  The  house  in  which  Sir  John  Ross  had 
wintered  in  1832-3,  was  found  still  standing,  together  with  a  quantity  of 
stores  and  provisions  of  one  of  the  ships  lost  in  1827.  On  opening  some 
of  the  packages,  their  contents  of  flour,  peas,  and  meat  were  found  in  a 
state  of  excellent  preservation,  and  the  portable  soup  as  wholesome  as 
when  first  manufactured.  The  labors  of  all  these  parties  were  curtailed 
and  hindered  by  the  sufferings  of  the  individuals  from  snow-blindness, 
sprained  ankles,  and  debility. 

By  these  excursions  taken  in  connection  with  the  expedition  incident- 
ally referred  to  of  Mr.  Rae  in  1847,  t'ie  whole  of  Prince  Regent's  Inlet 
and  the  Gulf  of  Boothia  was  examined,  with  the  exception  of  160  miles 
between  Fury  Beach  and  Lord  Mayor's  Bay,  and  as  there  were  no  indi- 
cations of  the  ships  having  touched  on  any  part  of  the  coast  so  narrowly 
traced,  it  seemed  to  Commander  Ross  certain  that  they  had  not  attempted 
to  find  a  passage  in  that  direction. 

On  this  account  he  decided  that  it  was  best  to  press  on  to  the  west 
as  soon  as  his  ships  should  become  liberated.  The  chief  hope  now  cen- 
tered in  the  efforts  of  Sir  John  Richardson;  for  he  concluded  that  Sir 
John  Franklin's  ships  must  have  penetrated  so  far  beyond  Melville 
Island  as  to  induce  him  to  prefer  to  make  for  the  continent  of  America, 
rather  than  to  seek  for  aid  from  the  whalers  in  Baffin's  Bay.  The  crews, 
weakened  by  excessive  exertion,  were  now  in  a  very  unfit  state  to 


BESET.  405 

accomplish  the  heavy  labor  which  they  were  obliged  to  undertake, 
but  all  hands  who  were  strong  enough  to  use  an  ax  or  a  saw,  were  set  to 
work  to  cut  a  channel  toward  the  point  of  the  harbor,  a  distance  of  some- 
what more  than  two  miles.  By  dint  of  extra  exertion  the  passage  was 
completed,  and  the  ships  cleared  on  the  28th  of  August.  Before  taking 
final  leave  of  the  harbor,  however,  a  house  was  built  and  covered  with 
such  of  the  ship's  housing  material  as  could  be  dispensed  with.  In  the 
house  were  left  provisions,  fuel,  etc.,  for  the  twelvemonth's  supply  of  a 
large  party,  and  in  a  convenient  place  was  moored  the  steam  launch 
belonging  to  the  Investigator.  This  being  seven  feet  longer  than  the 
other,  made  a  fine  vessel,  capable,  if  necessary,  of  conveying  Sir  John 
Franklin's  whole  party  to  safe  quarters  with  the  whalers  in  Baffin's  Bay. 

It  was  now  decided  to  proceed  to  the  north  side  of  Barrow's  Strait, 
for  the  purpose  of  examining  Wellington  Channel,  and  of  penetrat- 
ing, if  possible,  as  far  west  as  Melville  Island;  but  when  about  twelve 
miles  from  the  shore  the  ships  came  upon  the  land  ice,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  proceed  further.  As  they  were  struggling  through  the  ice- 
packs and  endeavoring  to  proceed  westward,  a  heavy  gale  brought  upon 
them  the  loose  ice  through  which  they  had  been  making  their  way,  and 
this  close  beset  them  for  severa-1  days.  The  vessels  sustained  severe  nips 
for  some  time,  and  were  also  endangered  by  the  piling  up  around  them 
of  great  hummocks,  which  threatened  at  times  to  cover  and  overwhelm 
them.  The  temperature  at  last  fell  to  zero,  and  the  pack  froze  around 
them  into  a  solid  mass.  The  experiences  of  the  next  weeks  are  thus 
described  by  Ross: 

"  We  were  so  circumstanced  that  for  some  days  we  could  not  unship 
the  rudder,  and  when  by  the  laborious  operation  of  sawing  and  removing 
the  hummocks  from  under  the  stern,  we  were  able  to  do  so,  we  found  it 
twisted  and  damaged;  and  the  ship  was  so  much  strained  as  to  in- 
crease the  leakage  from  three  inches  in  a  fortnight,  to  fourteen  daily. 
The  ice  was  stationary  for  a  few  days;  the  pressure  had  so  folded  the 
lighter  pieces  over  each  other  and  they  were  so  interlaced  as  to  form 
one  entire  sheet,  extending  from  shore  to  shore  of  Barrow's  Strait,  and 
as  far  to  the  east  and  west  as  the  eye  could  discern  from  the  mast-head, 


406  DELIVERANCE. 

while  the  extreme  severity  of  the  temperature  had  cemented  the  whole 
so  firmly  together  that  it  appeared  highly  improbable  that  it  could  break 
up  again  this  summer.  In  the  space  which  had  been  cleared  away  for 
unshipping  the  rudder,  the  newly  formed  ice  was  fifteen  inches  thick, 
and  in  some  places  along  the  ship's  side,  the  thirteen-feet  screws  were 
too  short  to  work.  We  had  now  fully  made  up  our  minds  that  the  ships 
were  fixed  for  the  winter,  and  dismal  as  the  prospect  appeared,  it  was  far 
preferable  to  being  carried  along  the  west  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay,  where 
grounded  bergs  are  in  such  numbers  upon  the  shallow  banks  of  that 
shore  as  to  render  it  next  to  impossible  for  ships  involved  in  a  pack  to 
escape  destruction.  It  was  therefore,  with  a  mixture  of  hope  and  anxiety 
that,  on  the  wind  shifting  to  the  westward,  we  perceived  the  whole  body 
of  ice  begin  to  drive  to  the  eastward,  at  the  rate  of  eight  to  ten  miles 
per  day.  Every  effort  on  our  part  was  totally  unavailing,  for  no  human 
power  could  have  moved  either  of  the  ships  a  single  inch;  they  were 
thus  completely  taken  out  of  our  hands,  and  in  the  center  of  a  field  of 
ice  more  than  fifty  miles  in  circumference,  were  carried  along  the  south- 
ern shore  of  Lancaster  Sound. 

"  After  passing  its  entrance,  the  ice  drifted  in  a  more  southerly  direc- 
tion along  the  western  shores  of  Baffin's  Bay,  until  we  were  almost 
abreast  of  Pond's  Bay,  to  the  southward  of  which,  we  observed 
a  great  number  of  icebergs  stretching  across  our  path,  and  pre- 
senting the  fearful  prospect  of  our  worst  anticipations.  But  when  least 
expected  by  us,  our  release  was  almost  miraculously  brought  about. 
The  great  field  of  ice  was  rent  into  innumerable  fragments,  as  if  by 
some  unseen  power." 

Every  resource  was  immediately  brought  into  active  use,  and  by 
packing,  warping,  and  sailing,  the  ice  was  cleared,  and  the  ships  reached 
an  open  space  of  water  on  the  25th  of  September. 

"  It  is  impossible,"  says  Sir  James,  "  to  convey  any  idea  of  the  sen- 
sations we  experienced  when  we  found  ourselves  once  more  at  liberty, 
while  many  a  grateful  heart  poured  forth  its  praises  and  thanksgiving  to 
Almighty  God  for  this  unlooked-for  deliverance. 

"  The  advance  of  winter  had  now  closed  all  the   harbors  against    us, 


COMMENTS   ON  ARCTIC  NAVIGATION.  407 

and  as  it  was  impossible  to  penetrate  to  the  westward  through  the  pack 
from  which  we  had  just  been  liberated,  I  made  the  signal  to  the 
Investigator,  of  my  intentions  to  return  to  England."  After  a  favorable 
and  uneventful  voyage,  the  ships  arrived  in  England  early  in  November, 
on  the  fifth  of  which  month,  Ross  reported  to  the  admiralty  the  result 
of  his  voyage. 

The  accident  which  prevented  this  party  from  examining  the  waters 
and  coast  toward  Melville  Island,  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  versatility 
of  the  elements  in  Arctic  regions,  and  the  extreme  uncertainty  of  the 
future,  even  for  a  short  time,  with  which  a  polar  navigator  must,  of 
necessity,  enter  those  unknown  waters.  In  ordinary  seas,  a  few  hours  of 
adverse  wind  simply  drive  a  ship  from  her  course  a  few  miles,  or  hinder 
for  an  hour,  or  a  day,  her  direct  progress;  a  return  of  favorable  breezes 
sufficing  in  a  short  time,  to  counterbalance  the  temporary  misfortunes. 
But  in  the  latitude  of  almost  perpetual  ice,  no  one  can  predict  what  hour 
the  pack  may  close  about  the  hapless  craft,  and  crush  her  sides  or  im- 
prison her  for  dreary  months  in  a  desolate,  frozen  mass.  When  the 
peculiarities  of  Arctic  navigation  are  considered,  the  marvel  should  be, 
not  that  so  little,  but  that  so  much,  has  been  brought  to  light  of  the 
mystery  surrounding  the  "  Storied  Pole." 


CHAPTER    XLV. 

EXPEDITION  VIA  BEHRING'S    STRAIT THE  HERALD  AND  PLOVER 

PULLEN'S  BOAT   JOURNEY — LANCASTER  SOUND  —  GREAT  PREPA- 
RATIONS    DISCOVERIES  THE      PRINCE     ALBERT      RETURNS     TO 

ENGLAND SLEDGE   JOURNEYS  THE    PRINCE    ALBERT A    CRITI- 
CAL   SITUATION WINTER    ON    BOARD    THE    PRINCE    ALBERT. 

The  search  expedition  via  Behring's  Strait,  was  suggested  and  or- 
ganized upon  the  ground,  that  if  Franklin  succeeded  in  pushing  his  way 
through  the  western  ice,  and  thus  proved  the  existence  of  a  Northwest 
Passage,  he  would  likely  be  found  at  or  near  the  coast  of  Russian  Amer- 
ica, frozen  up  in  the  waters  of  that  region,  or  cruising  about  to  add  to  the 
geographical  knowledge  of  those  comparatively  unknown  parts. 

This  expedition  was  composed  of  the  Herald,  under  Capt.  Kellet, 
and  the  Plover  in  charge  of  Commander  Moore.  The  vessels  were  ex- 
pected to  arrive  in  Behring's  Strait  about  the  ist  of  July,  1848,  and  were 
directed  to  proceed  along  the  American  coast  as  far  .as  possible,  consistent 
with  the  certainty  of  preventing  the  ships  being  beset  by  the  ice.  A  har- 
bor was  to  be  sought  for  the  Plover  within  the  strait,  to  which  that  ves- 
sel was  to  be  conducted,  and  two  whale-boats  were  to  go  on  to  the  east- 
ward in  search  of  the  missing  voyagers,  and  to  communicate,  if  possible, 
with  the  MacKenzie  River  party.  The  Plover  was  fitted  out  in  the 
Thames  in  December,  1847;  but  having  been  found  unsea worthy,  was 
compelled,  when  she  went  to  sea,  to  put  into  Plymouth  for  repairs,  and 
did  not  finally  leave  England  until  February,  1848.  This  tardy  depart- 
ure, conjoined  with  her  dull  sailing,  prevented  her  from  passing  Beh- 
ring's Strait  at  all  in  1848,  but  she  wintered  on  the  Asiatic  coast  j'ust  out- 
side of  the  strait. 

The  Herald  visited  Kotzebue  Sound,  repassed  the  straits  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Plover,  and  returned  to  winter  in  South  America,  with  the 
intention  of  going  northward  again  next  season. 

408 


GREAT  PREPARATIONS.  409 

The  summer  of  1849  was  spent  by  the  two  vessels  in  a  series  of  faith- 
ful explorations,  whose  results  added  greatly  to  our  knowledge  of  the 
Russian  seas,  without,  however,  disclosing  any  traces  of  Franklin  or  his 
men.  Especially  remarkable  in  connection  with  this  voyage  was  a  boat 
journey  to  the  eastward  by  Lieut.  Pullen.  Some  details  of  this  adven- 
turous voyage  are  given  by  Lieut.  Harper,  in  his  private  correspondence. 
In  four  open  boats  they  had  set  out  for  Mackenzie's  River,  which  they 
reached  after  a  perilous  voyage  of  thirty-two  days.  Ascending  this  river 
they  came  to  Fort  Simpson,  where  they  met  Mr.  Rae,  and  received  an 
account  of  his  own  proceedings  and  those  of  Dr.  Richardson. 

On  the  2oth  of  June  of  the  following  summer,  the  whole  party  of 
Pullen,  with  the  servants  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  their  stock 
of  four,  started  for  the  sea  to  embark  for  England.  On  the  25th,  how- 
ever, they  were  met  by  a  canoe  containing  dispatches  from  admiralty,  or- 
dering the  search  for  Franklin  to  be  resumed  along  the  Arctic  coast. 
Stopped  by  the  ice,  and  shattering  one  of  his  boats  in  the  perilous  at- 
tempt to  cross  the  northern  channels,  Pullen  was  also  unsuccessful  in  this 
undertaking,  and  subsequently  returned  to  England. 

In  the  rneantime,  preparations  for  the  search  by  way  of  Lancaster 
Sound  were  made  on  a  large  scale.  The  Resolute  was  commissioned 
by  Capt.  Horatio  L.  Austin,  and  the  Assistance,  Capt.  Ommaney,  was 
put  under  his  orders,  together  with  the  Pioneer  and  Intrepid,  steam  tugs, 
commanded  by  Lieuts.  Osborn  and  Cator.  Capt.  William  Penny,  an 
experienced  whale-fisher,  was  also  engaged  for  the  search,  and  placed  in 
command  of  the  Lady  Franklin  and  the  Sophia.  In  addition  to  these  ex- 
peditions fitted  out  by  the  admiralty,  others  furnished  from  private  sources 
showed  the  interest  that  was  widely  and  deeply  felt  in  the  cause.  Capt. 
Sir  John  Ross,  in  spite  of  his  advanced  years,  sailed  in  the  Felix  schooner, 
and,  as  we  shall  see,  the  United  States  came  forward  in  the  first  of  the 
Grinnell  expeditions,  a  full  account  of  which  will  be  given  in  its  place; 
Lady  Franklin  likewise,  with  that  untiring  energy  and  conjugal  devo- 
tion which  marked  her  conduct  throughout,  dispatched  the  Prince  Albert 
under  the  orders  of  Commander  Forsyth,  of  the  Royal  Navy.  As 
many  of  these  were  largely  subordinate  in  their  objects,  and  unattended 


410  DISCOVERIES. 

by  important  results,  the  reader  will  not  be  burdened  with  a  detailed  ac- 
count of  their  adventures.  They  were  all  sent  out  in  ( 1850)  and  engaged 
in  searching  the  same  tract,  the  coasts  on  both  sides  of  Lancaster  Sound. 

Overcoming  all  difficulties  from  the  Baffin's  Bay  ice  by  the  powerful 
aid  of  the  steamers,  Capt.  Austin's  squadron  reached  the  entrance  to  the 
sound  in  July — Capt.  Penny's  vessel  following  in  their  wake.  There 
they  separated,  and  while  the  Pioneer  and  the  Resolute  remained  to 
examine  the  neighborhood  of  Pond's  Bay,  Capt.  Ommaney  proceeded  to 
Beechey  Island  and  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  discovering  the  first  traces 
of  Franklin's  expedition  yet  brought  to  light.  Capt.  Austin,  his  attend- 
ant steamer,  Penny,  and  the  American  squadron,  soon  joined  the  Assist- 
ance at  Cape  Riley,  and  minute  investigation  only  proved  the 
importance  of  the  discoveries,  and  demonstrated  this  to  have  been  the 
scene  of  Franklin's  winter  quarters.  The  site  of  the  encampment  was 
plainly  marked  by  the  various  signs  of  the  former  occupants.  No  record 
was  found,  however,  and  concerning  the  whereabouts  or  fate  of  the 
missing  voyagers,  the  crews  were  no  wiser  than  before.  Papers  were 
left  at  Cape  Riley  by  each  ship  in  its  turn,  and  the  Assistance  landed 
provisions  at  Whaler's  Point  for  the  succor  of  Franklin's  crew,  should 
they  ever  reach  that  place. 

These  discoveries  were  made  in  August,  and,  as  winter  was  rapidly 
approaching,  little  more  could  be  done  this  season.  Penny  pushed  up 
Wellington  Channel  as  far  as  Cornwallis'  Island,  but  turned  back  before 
an  impassable  barrier  of  ice,  beyond  which  he  was  chagrined  to.  dis- 
cover open  water  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  The  Lady  Franklin 
and  Sophia  sought  winter  quarters  in  Assistance  Harbor,  at  the  south 
extremity  of  Cornwallis'  Land,  and  they  were  speedily  joined  by  Sir 
John  Ross'  Felix,  while  the  Resolute  and  Assistance,  of  Austin,  soon 
became  fastened  in  the  pack  which  filled  up  the  channel  between  Grif- 
fith's Island  and  Cornwallis'  Land.  The  Prince  Albert  sailed  for  Eng- 
land before  winter  set  in;  and  her  example  was  followed  by  the  Advance 
and  the  Rescue  of  the  Americans,  though,  as  subsequent  chapters  will 
explain,  fate  had  reserved  for  these  two  a  more  perilous  passage  than  a 
simple  journey  to  New  York. 


AUSTIN  RETURNS  TO  ENGLAND.  411 

As  the  winter  advanced,  the  hollows  between  the  hummocks  in  the 
ice  about  the  vessels  became  filled  up  with  snow,  and  sledging  parties 
were  organized.  In  all,  fifteen  sledges  were  sent  out  \vith  105  men,  so 
that  only  seventy-five  remained  to  take  charge  of  the  ships.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  give  any  detailed  account  of  these  well-planned  and  brave 
attempts,  the  prosecution  of  which  involved  more  hardship  than  had  been 
endured  throughout  the  whole  of  the  winter  preceding.  Fatigue  from 
drawing  heavily  loaded  sledges  over  ice  often  rough  and  precipitous,  suf- 
fering from  exposure  to  the  intense  cold,  from  which  no  amount  of  cloth- 
ing could  protect  the  traveler,  and  more  than  all,  the  terrible  snow  blind- 
ness of  an  Arctic  winter;  all  these  told  heavily  upon  them,  and  to  these 
was  added  the  heavier  weight  of  disappointment.  Each  party  returned 
with  the  same  sorrowful  response,  "  No  signs!" 

Several  parties  from  the  Lady  Franklin  were  sent  up  Wellington 
Channel;  one  of  them  Penny  commanded  himself,  and  finding  the  chan- 
nel too  open  to  admit  of  sledge  traveling,  he  returned  to  his  vessel,  pro- 
vided himself  with  a  boat,  commenced  his  journey  anew,  and  after  a 
series  of  adventures  and  difficulties,  which  he  overcame  with  courage 
worthy  of  a  hero,  he  penetrated  up  Queen's  Channel  as  far  as  Baring's 
Island  and  Cape  Beecher,  where,  most  reluctantly,  he  was  compelled  to 
turn  back.  A  fine  open  sea  stretched  away  to  the  north  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  but  his  boats  were  weak  and  small,  his  men  were  few,  and 
he  was  obliged  to  withstand  the  temptation  to  embark  on  the  bosom  of 
this  inviting  water.  Penny  really  thought  that  Franklin  had  followed 
this  route,  and  that  his  ships,  if  ever  found,  must  be  looked  for  on  the 
untracked  waters  of  the  Polar  Ocean.  Capt.  Austin,  however,  could  not 
be  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  this  theory,  and  as  nothing  could  be  done 
without  his  co-operation,  Penny  was  compelled  to  follow  the  course 
pointed  out  by  the  admiralty  squadron,  which,  after  two  ineffectual  at- 
tempts to  enter  Smith's  and  Jones'  Sounds,  returned  to  England. 

Lady  Franklin's  vessel,  the  Prince  Albert,  did  not  stay  to  share  with 
her  companions  the  inclemencies  of  an  Arctic  Christmas,  but  leaving 
them  in  preparation  for  winter,  she  brought  home  the  welcome  intelli- 
gence of  the  discoveries  at  Beechey  Island,  which  inspired  all  interested 


412  A  CRITICAL  SITUATION. 

in  the  cause  with  a  lively  hope,  and  served  not  a  little  to  expedite  prepa- 
rations for  a  coming  season.  No  time  was  lost  in  refitting  the  brave  lit- 
tle craft,  which  was  placed  in  charge  of  Mr.  Kennedy.  His  second  in 
command  was  Lieut.  Bellot,  that  noble  volunteer  in  the  cause  of  human- 
ity, whose  generous  self-devotion  procured  for  him  a  fraternal  regard 
from  all  Englishmen.  The  object  of  the  present  voyage  was  to  exam- 
ine into  Regent's  Inlet  and  the  coast  of  North  Somerset,  an  important 
district  for  which  no  provision  seemed  to  have  been  made  in  the  admi- 
ralty plan  of  search;  for  nothing  could  then  be  known  in  England  of  the 
sledge  parties  by  means  of  which  Capt.  Austin  was  at  that  very  time 
in  part  supplying  the  deficiency. 

The  easterly  gales  had  formed  a  barrier  of  ice  across  Barrow's  Strait, 
cutting  off  all  access  to  Cape  Riley  or  Griffith's  Island,  so  that  the  Albert 
was  fain  to  turn  at  once  into  Regent's  Inlet,  and  take  temporary  refuge 
from  the  wind  in  Port  Bowen.  As  it  was  very  undesirable,  however,  to 
winter  on  the  coast  opposite  to  that  along  which  lay  their  line  of  search, 
Kennedy,  with  four  men,  crossed  to  Port  Leopold  amid  masses  of  ice,  to 
reconnoiter  the  western  line  of  coast,  as  well  as  to  ascertain  whether  any 
documents  had  been  left  at  this  point  by  previous  searching  parties. 

After  an  hour  spent  in  examining  the  locality  and  seeking  for  papers, 
they  prepared  to  return,  but  to  their  dismay  found  their  passage  cut  off" 
by  the  ice,  which,  opening  only  in  dangerous  crevices,  proved  a  hopeless 
obstacle  when  they  attempted  to  reach  the  vessel  on  foot.  It  is  difficult 
to  conceive  of  a  more  deplorable  situation.  Darkness  was  fast  coming 
on,  the  floe  on  which  they  stood  was  passing  rapidly  down  the  channel, 
and  the  ear  was  deafened  by  the  crashing  of  huge  ice-blocks,  which 
dashed  furiously  against  each  other,  and  threatened  momentarily  to  break 
in  fragments  the  portion  they  occupied.  The  only  alternative  was  to  re- 
turn to  shore  as  best  they  could,  and  thus,  separated  from  their  ship, 
clothing,  and  provisions,  they  passed  the  night;  their  only  shelter  being 
their  boat,  under  which  each  man  in  turn  took  an  hour's  rest.  To  these 
disagreeable  experiences  was  added  in  the  morning  the  mortification  of 
finding  that  their  ship  had  disappeared!  Their  course  was  now  fixed; 
they  must  endure  the  winter  as  well  as  they  could.  Fortunately,  the 


WINTER  ON  BOARD  THE  PRINCE  ALBERT. 


413 


depot  of  provisions  left  by  Sir  James  Ross  at  Whaler's  Point,  was  easily 
accessible,  and  finding  everything  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  they 
immediately  proceeded  to  make  themselves  as  comfortable  as  possible. 
They  fitted  up  the  steam-launch,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  left 
by  Sir  James  for  the  possible  transportation  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  and 
made  a  comfortable  temporary  dwelling. 

Thus  resigned  to  the  exigencies  of  their  situation,  they  were  joyfully 
surprised  on  the  xyth  of  October,  by  the  appearance  of  Mr.  Bellot  with 
a  party  of  seven  men,  who  had  dragged  the  jolly  boat  with  them  all  the 
way  from  the  ship.  It  seemed  that  this  gallant  officer  had  made  two 


PERILS   OF    SLEDGE-TRAVEL. 


previous  attempts  to  reach  the  unfortunate   party,  who  now  forgot  their 
troubles  in  accompanying  their  friends  back  to  the  vessel. 

The  long  winter  passed  on  board  the  Prince  Albert  in  the  ordinary 
routine ;  its  monotony  being  somewhat  relieved  by  the  barrel-organ  pre- 
sented by  the  liberal  Prince  from  whom  their  vessel  took  its  name.  A 
few  excursions  took  place  from  time  to  time,  to  form  provision  depots  for 
a  contemplated  journey  of  exploration,  or  to  calculate  how  soon  they 
might  start.  On  the  25th  of  February  the  grand  expedition  departed. 
It  consisted,  exclusive  of  the  reserve  party,  which  accompanied  it  some 
distance— of  Kennedy,  Bellot,  and  six  men,  together  with  four  sledges, 


414  A  NEW  S$_  U AD  RON. 

drawn  partly  by  dogs,  and  partly  by  the  men.  It  is  truly  surprising  to 
find  what  these  men  accomplished  with  this  slender  equipment.  They 
traced  the  course  of  North  Somerset  to  its  southern  extremity,  crossed 
Victoria  Strait,  explored  thoroughly  Prince  of  Wales'  Land,  and  fol- 
lowed the  coast  of  North  Somerset  back  again  to  their  starting  point, 
having,  in  an  absence  of  ninety-seven  days,  performed  a  journey  of 
eleven  hundred  miles,  without  illness  or  accident. 

After  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice,  the  Prince  Albert  repaired  to  Cape 
'  Riley,  where  the  North  Star,  under  our  friend  Capt.  Pullen,  was  sta- 
tioned as  depot-ship  to  a  squadron  which  had,  in  the  meantime,  been  sent 
out  under  Sir  Edward  Belcher.  Kennedy  and  Bellot  were  at  first  anx- 
ious to  remain  out  another  season,  and  projected  the  plan  of  sending  the 
vessel  back,  while  they  remained  with  the  present  expedition.  Circum- 
stances, however,  induced  them  to  change  their  plan,  and  they  reached 
Aberdeen,  with  their  full  number  of  men,  on  the  jth  of  October,  1852. 


CHAPTER    XLVI. 

SEARCH     UNDER     M'CLURE     AND     COLUNSON THE     ENTERPRISE    AND 

INVESTIGATOR    SENT    OUT    AGAIN AROUND    CAPE    HORN SAND- 
WICH   ISLANDS IN    KOTZEBUE    SOUND ALONE    IN    THE  ARCTIC 

A    CAIRN    ERECTED A    LIGHT-FINGERED    NATIVE AGROUND  — 

A    COOL     RECEPTION A     NOVEL    CHRONOLOGY FALSE    HOPES 

NORTHWEST    PASSAGE    PREDICTED. 

Ross'  discovery  squadron  was  scarcely  welcomed  home  from  its 
perilous  operations  of  1848-9,  when  it  was  at  once  decided  by  the  Eng- 
lish Government  to  refit  the  vessels,  for  the  purpose  of  resuming  the 
search  for  Franklin  by  way  of  Behring's  Strait — the  scene  of  the  search 
on  the  part  of  the  Plover  and  the  Herald.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
the  Enterprise  and  Investigator  had  failed  in  their  attempt  to  get  west 
of  Leopold  Island,  in  the  summer  of  1849,  and  only  escaped*  from  a 
winter's  imprisonment  in  that  inhospitable  spot,  to  be  swept  with  the  ice 
in  Barrow's  Strait  out  into  Baffin's  Bay,  so  that  they  had  just  time  to 
retreat  to  England  before  the  general  closing  of  all  Arctic  seas. 

Shaken  and  worn  as  the  two  ships  were,  a  little  judicious  work  in  the 
dockyard  soon  put  them  into  a  proper  condition  once  more  to  combat 
the  ice  of  Arctic  manufacture.  Capt.  Richard  Collinson  was  appointed 
as  senior  officer  and  leader  of  the  expedition,  to  the  Enterprise,  and 
Commander  Robert  Le  Mesurier  M'Clure  to  the  Investigator.  The 
former  enjoyed  a  high  naval  reputation,  and  in  China  his  abilities  as  a 
surveyor  had  done  the  State  good  service.  The  latter,  the  destined  dis- 
coverer of  the  Northwest  Passage,  having  passed  a  useful  apprentice- 
ship in  the  British  service  for  twenty  years,  received  an  appointment  to 
the  Investigator,  as  a  reward  for  valuable  service  as  lieutenant  under 

Ross  in  1848-9. 

415 


416  AROUND  THE  HORN. 

In  1849—50  there  was  no  lack  of  volunteers  for  Arctic  service. 
The  voyages  of  the  preceding  seasons  had  attracted  the  attention  of 
all;  and  an  interest  in  the  cause,  coupled  with  a  desire  for  adventure, 
greatly  hastened  the  completion  of  the  preparations.  On  the  loth  of 
January  the  two  ships  set  out;  but  being,  as  Arctic-bound  ships  must  be, 
heavily  laden  with  provisions  and  fixtures,  it  became  necessary  to  stop 
at  Plymouth  and  do  some  slight  repairing — a  measure  which  gave  them 
an  opportunity  of  securing  several  more  good  seamen. 

No  delay  was  allowed  here,  however,  for  the  great  distance  between 
England  and  Behring's  Strait  had  to  be  traversed  by  way  of  Cape  Horn. 
This  involved  a  journey  of  six  months  before  the  sea  co.uld  be  reached; 
and  it  was  fully  realized  that  the  delay  of  a  month  might  cause  the  gate 
to  the  highway  they  sought  to  be  closed  against  them.  The  services  of 
a  German  clergyman,  who  had  been  a  Moravian  missionary,  were  duly 
engaged  as  interpreter,  and  he  was  dispatched  on  board  the  Investi- 
gator at  Plj'mouth. 

A  few  hours  afterward  the  Arctic  squadron  weighed  anchor  and  sailed 
forth  with  a  fair  and  fresh  wind.  As  the  greater  interest  attaches  to  the 
Investigator,  on  account  of  her  connection  with  the  discovery  of  the 
Northwest  Passage,  it  will  be  our  aim  particularly  to  follow  her  fortunes 
over  the  northern  seas. 

It  was  not  until  the  iSth  of  March,  1850,  nearly  two  months  after 
leaving  England,  that  the  Investigator  crossed  the  Southern  Tropic  in 
the  Atlantic  Ocean,  although  the  greatest  possible  speed  had  been  made, 
and  the  two  vessels,  having  parted  company  from  the  first,  had  not  been, 
as  is  usual,  the  means  of  detaining  each  other.  After  being  towed 
through  the  Strait  into  the  Pacific,  she  landed  on  the  iyth  of  April,  at 
Port  Famine,  on  the  coast  of  Chili. 

Here  Capt.  M'Glure  learned  that  the  Enterprise  had  already  passed, 
and  what  was  still  more  to  be  regretted,  had  taken  with  her  all  'the  beef 
cattle,  so  that  the  Investigator's  prospect  of  fresh  meat  was  no  nearer 
than  the  Sandwich  Islands,  to  reach  which  the  wide  Pacific  had  to  be 
traversed,  as  the  Atlantic  had  already  been.  At  Fortescue  Bay,  how- 
ever, the  Investigator  found  the  Enterprise  lying  at  anchor,  and  an 


ALONE  IN  THE  ARCTIC.  417 

opportunity  was  afforded  for  comparing  notes  upon  their  respective  jour- 
neys. On  the  1 9th  of  April  the  weather  permitted  of  their  again  starting 
out.  Once  in  the  broad  Pacific  the  tWo  vessels  separated,  never  again  to 
rejoin. 

Crossing  the  Equator  on  the  I5th  of  June,  the  vessel  of  our  nar- 
rative was  aided  by  the  S.  E.  trades  into  7°  N.  latitude.  On  the  ist  of 
July  they  anchored  gladly  enough  outside  the  harbor  of  Honolulu,  the 
wind  not  being  favorable  for  entering  it.  They  found  that  Capt.  Col- 
linson  had  already  called  at  this  port  and  proceeded  on  his  way.  After 
purchasing  as  speedily  as  possible  all  necessary  supplies  of  fruit  and  vege- 
tables, they  departed,  fully  equipped  for  their  Arctic  voyage,  on  the  4th  of 
July,  1850.  The  ice,  however,  was  still  40°  distant,  the  Enterprise  un- 
doubtedly far  ahead,  and  the  season  would  be  closing  in,  in  about  sixty  days. 
Capt.  M'Clure  might  well  be  anxious  to  devise  the  best  means  of  reaching 
Behring's  Straits.  It  was  rumored  at  Honolulu  that  the  Enterprise,  in 
case  of  arriving  at  Kotzebue  Sound,  on  the  coast  of  Russian  America,  in 
advance  of  the  Investigator,  proposed  to  take  with  her  the  Plover, 
anchored  since  1848  in  that  harbor,  and  leave  the  ship  of  M'Clure  in  her 
place  on  the  American  coast. 

To  prevent  an  occurrence  which  would  prove  so  damaging  to  the 
ardor  of  his  men,  M'Clure  made  every  breeze  do  him  service,  and  arrived 
'in  Kotzebue  Sound  on  the  29th  of  July.  As  no  traces  of  the  Enterprise 
had  been  seen  by  the  Plover's  men,  it  was  inferred  that  she  had  either 
passed  in  a  fog,  or  had  not  yet  come  up.  Capt.  M'Clure's  impulse  was 
to  push  on  and  either  join  the  Enterprise  or,  failing  in  that,  at  least  spend 
the  remainder  of  the  season  in  profitable  exploration.  Capt.  Kellett  of  the 
Plover,  although  M'Clure's  senior,  did  not  feel  that  he  had  the  authority 
to  detain  him,  especially  in  the  uncertainty  of  the  whereabouts  of  the 
Enterprise.  The  Investigator,  then,  at  once  set  sail,  and  in  forty-eight 
hours  was  out  of  sight  and  alone  on  the  rough  surface  of  the  stormy 
strait.  Running  northward  as  far  as  it  was  safe  on  account  of  the  ice, 
M'Clure  retraced  his  course  southward  and  eastward,  until  he  reached 
Wainwright  Inlet,  and  again  sighted  the  Plover  for  a  time. 

Keeping  now  very  close  to  the  American  coast,  or  as  near  as  the 
27 


418  A  LIGHT  FINGERED  NATIVE. 

ice  would  permit,  the  vessel  made  rapid  progress  toward  Point  Barrow. 
At  midnight  they  rounded  the  northwest  extreme  of  the  American  con- 
tinent, and  hegan  their  progress  toward  the  eastward.  On  the  morning 
of  the  6th  of  August,  1850,  the  officers  and  crew  felt  free  from  all  anxiety 
on  the  score  of  being  able  to  enter  the  Arctic  Ocean  from  Behring's  Strait. 
Their  first  aspiration  was  to  reach  Melville  Island,  but  as  a  waste  of 
ice  stretched  before  them  in  that  direction  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
it  was  decided  to  reach  if  possible,  the  "landwater,"  on  the  comparatively 
safe  sea  between  the  main  land  and  the  main  body  of  ice;  and  once  in 
that  water  to  struggle  eastward  for  that  •  open  sea  off  trie  MacKenzie 
River,  spoken  of  by  Sir  John  Richardson. 

On  August  8,  when  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  east  of  Point 
,  Barrow,  a  man  was  sent  ashore  to  leave  a  notice  of  the  passage  of  the 
Investigator.,  and  to  erect  a  cairn.  Here  some  native  Esquimaux  were 
found,  of  whom  inquiry  was  made  concerning  the  character  of  the  water 
to  the  eastward.  Communication  being  generally  established  with  the 
tribe,  it  was  admitted  by  some  of  the  men  that  they  had  seen  a  ship  in 
Kotzebue  Sound  (no  doubt  the  Plover).  They  gave  promise  of  an 
open  channel  from  three  to  five  miles  in  width,  all  along  the  shore  until 
winter;  but  they  could  give  no  idea  of  what  time  that  season  began. 
M'Clure  told  them  that  he  was  looking  for  a  lost  brother,  and  made 
them  promise  that  if  they  ever  rrtet  the  wandering  party  they  should  be 
kind  to  them,  and  give  them  "deer's-flesh." 

The  chief  characteristics  of  this  tribe  seemed  to  be  obesity,  dirtiness, 
and  dishonesty  "Thieving,  performed  in  a  most  artless  and  skillful 
manner,  appeared  their  principal  accomplishment.  As  Capt.  M'Clure 
was  giving  out  some  tobacco  as  a  present,  he  felt  a  hand  in  his  trousers' 
pocket,  and  on  looking  down  found  a  native,  receiving  a  gift  with  one 
hand,  and  actually  picking  his  pocket  with  the  other.  Yet,  when  de- 
tected, the  fellow  laughed  so  good-humoredly  and  all  his  compatriots 
seemed  to  enjoy  the  joke  so  amazingly,  that  even  the  aggrieved  parties 
joined  in  the  general  merriment." 

Working  on  to  the  eastward  the  Investigator  had  reached,  on  Aug. 
14,  longitude  148°  17'  west,  and  became  much  hampered  among  the 


A  COOL  RECEPTION.  419 

low  islands,  which,  for  a  ship  in  foggy  weather,  were  exceedingly  dan- 
gerous. They  had  now  passed  the  point  at  which  Franklin  had  arrived 
in  his  journey  westward  from  the  MacKenzie,  and  might  be  said  to  be 
approaching  the  delta  of  that  great  river. 

After  several  narrow  escapes  on  the  I4th  of  August  the  good  ship 
found  herself  quite  beset  with  the  shoals  surrounding  the  individual 
islands  of  this  little  archipelago ;  and  at  last,  in  attempting  to  escape 
through  a  narrow  strait  of  three  fathoms  depth,  she  unfortunately  took 
the  ground.  All  sail  was  at  first  put  on,  in  the  hope  of  dragging  her 
through  it;  but  the  effort  proved  fruitless.  Even  the  laying  out  of  all  the 
anchors  failed  to  float  the  vessel.  All  the  load  possible  was  now  put 
into  boats,  several  tons  of  water  were  let  out  of  the  tanks  on  board,  and 
at  last,  after  being  aground  five  hours,  the  Investigator  was  once  more 
got  afloat. 

On  the  night  of  Aug.  7  new  ice  was  found  for  the  first  time  upon  the 
surface  of  the  sea,  a  certain  indication  of  the  speedy  approach  of  winter, 
and  some  doubted  whether  the  MacKenzie  could  be  reached.  The  gen- 
eral embarrassment  was  augmented  by  a  mistake  of  the  officers  in  charge. 
In  the  foggy  weather  prevalent  at  this  season  along  the  coast,  a  blind 
lead  through  the  ice  was  followed  for  ninety  miles,  being  mistaken  for 
the  channel  between  the  main  ice  and  the  shore.  Retracing  their  steps, 
they  fortunately  found  a  passage  out  of  the  ice,  and  were  soon  off  the 
MacKenzie  fifty  miles  distant  from  the  mainland.  '  •  • 

On  the  24th  of  August  the  Investigator  approached  Port  Warren, 
and  a  party  landed,  hoping  that  the  natives  at  this  point  traded  with  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  presuming  that  in  this  way  another  dispatch 
could  be  sent  to  England.  Their  surprise,  therefore,  may  be  imagined 
at  finding  themselves  received  with  brandished  weapons  of  all  sorts,  and  a 
general  expression  of  defiance.  A  friendly  footing  at  last  being  estab- 
lished, a  brass  button  of  European  manufacture  was  seen  suspended  from 
the  ear  of  the  chief.  In  reply  to  inquiries  he  candidly  confessed  that  it 
belonged  to  a  white  man,  one  of  a  party  who  had  arrived  at  Port  War- 
ren from  the  westward.  They  had  no  boat,  nor  other  means  of  convey- 
ance, but  had  built  a  house,  and  finally  departed  inland.  The  owner  of 


420  NATIVE  CUPIDITY. 

the  brass  button  had  wandered  from  the  rest  of  his  party,  and  been 
killed  by  a  native,  who  now,  seeing  the  great  ship,  had  fled.  The  white 
man  had  been  buried  by  the  chief  and  his  son.  With  regard  to  time, 
however,  the  chief's  account  was  singularly  vague,  and  he  could  by  no 
means  be  induced  to  fix  the  date  with  any  more  accuracy  than  "  It  might 
be  last  year  and  it  might  be  when  he  was  a  child." 

This  tale  of  course  gave  rise  to  many  conjectures;  many  were  of  the 
opinion  that  the  wandering  whites  could  be  no  other  than  members  of 
Franklin's  party;  and  all  agreed  as  to  the  propriety  of  making  thorough 
investigation  before  leaving  the  vicinity.  A  thick  fog  which  warned 
them  to  return  to  the  ship,  did  not  allow  them  to  visit  the  white  man's 
grave,  but  on  following  the  direction  indicated  by  the  chief,  a  hut  was 
discovered.  They  were  disappointed  to  find  that  the  hut  was  old,  and 
that  the  occupants  had  vacated  it  years  before,  while  the  decayed  wood 
of  which  it  was  made  bore  not  the  slightest  trace  by  which  to  glean  infor- 
mation of  the  former  tenants.  There  was  at  least  nothing  upon  which 
to  base  the  slightest  connection  with  Franklin's  fate,  and  therefore  noth- 
ing to  cause  further  delay  in  their  onward  voyage. 

Another  tribe  of  Esquimaux  was  encountered  about  the  close  of 
August  off  Cape  Bathurst,  who,  being  friendly,  undertook  to  convey  the 
dispatches  to  the  Hudson's  Ba}'  Company,  which  it  had  been  found  im- 
possible to  transmit  from  Port  Warren.  It  was  of  course  necessary  to 
make  some  trifling  presents  in  return,  and  M'Clure  gives  an  interesting 
account  of  the  manner  in  which  the  women,  excited  by  what  they  had 
already  received,  and  tempted  by  the  display  of  articles  before  them,  at 
last  became  unmanageable  and  rushed  upon  the  stores,  seizing  what  they 
could  reach,  and  carrying  it  off  apparently  without  compunction. 

The  ist  of  September  found  the  Investigator  still  laboring  to  the 
eastward.  From  the  ist  to  the  5th  the  vessel  was  occupied  in 
rounding  the  Bay  formed  by  Capes  Bathurst  and  Parry.  On  the 
4th  large  fires  were  seen  on  shore,  and  at  first  were  supposed  to 
have  been  built  by  the  natives  to  attract  attention.  It  was  not 
likely,  however,  that  natives  would  indulge  in  so  lavish  an  expenditure 
of  fuel,  and  the  appearance  was  at  last  attributed  to  the  presence  on  shore 


NOR TH  WES  T  PA SSA  GE  PROD  UCED.  421 

of  Franklin  and  his  comrades.  Figures  in  white  were  seen  moving 
about,  and  various  suggestive  objects  were  descried  by  the  anxious 
searchers.  Bitterly  were  our  voyagers  disappointed  to  find  upon  examina- 
tion only  a  few  small  volcanic  mounds  of  a  sulphuric  nature,  while  the 
tracks  of  reindeer,  coming  for  water  to  a  neighboring  spring,  clearly 
explained  the  mystery  of  the  moving  figures. 

A  fresh  breeze  and  clearer  weather  with  more  open  water  enabled 
the  Investigator  to  set  away  from  the  Continent  more  than  she  had  done ; 
and  on  the  yth  of  September  Capt.  M'Clure  landed  on  a  newly-dis- 
covered piece  of  land,  to  take  possession  of  it  in  the  Queen's  name.  This 
was  named  Baring's  Land  from  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  in  ignorance 
of  its  being  connected  with  Banks  Land  already  discovered. 

Prince  Albert  Land  was  at  last  reached,  and  exhibited,  in  its  interior, 
ranges  of  mountains  covered  with  snow.  Gulls  and  other  birds  were  seen 
flying  southward  —  a  certain  indication  that  winter  was  soon  to  set  in. 
A  hope  began  to  possess  the  mariners  that  they  were  to  accomplish  what 
others  had  heretofore  failed  in  achieving  —  namely,  the  discovery  of  the 
Northwest  Passage.  The  dangers  of  the  expedition,  cold,  hunger,  hard- 
ship,—all  were  forgotten.  "Only  give  us  time,"  they  said,  "and  we 
must  make  the  Northwest  Passage."  Noon  of  September  pth  placed 
them  only  sixty  miles  from  Barrow's  Strait. 

"  I  cannot,"  says  M'Clure's  journal,  "describe  my  anxious  feelings. 
Can  it  be  possible  that  this  water  communicates  with  Barrow's  Strait, 
and  shall  prove  to  be  the  long-sought  Northwest  Passage?  Can  it  be  that 
so  humble  a  creature  as  I  will  be  permitted  to  perform  what  has  baffled 
the  talented  and  wise  for  hundreds  of  years?  But  all  praise  be  ascribed  to 
Him  who  has  conducted  us  so  far  on  our  way  in  safety.  His  ways  are 
not  our  ways,  nor  are  the  means  that  He  uses  to  accomplish  His  ends 
within  our  comprehension.  The  wisdom  of  the  world  is  foolishness 
with  Him." 


CHAPTER    XLVIL 

i 

SIGNS  OF  WINTER BESET PREPARED  FOR  DANGER WINTERING  IN 

THE    ARCTIC POLAR    HUNTING-GROUNDS SUMMER    AGAIN 

PRINCE  ALBERT'S  CAPE  —  THE  ENTERPRISE— ANXIETY  IN  ENG_ 

LAND RELIEF     EXPEDITIONS A     SECOND     WINTER    IN    THE 

ARCTIC THE    SEARCH THE    DISCOVERY  PIM's    RECEPTION 

A  HAPPY. CREW ABANDONMENT  OF  THE  INVESTIGATOR. 

September  n,  1850,  brought  with  it  undoubted  signs  of  winter.  The 
thermometer  fell  to  n°  below  the  freezing  point;  and  a  northwest  gale 
rolled  the  ice  down  into  the  channel,  and  rendered  it  almost  unnavigable. 
No  harbor  was  in  sight,  and  the  long  dark  nights  rendered  progress 
peculiarly  dangerous  and  difficult.  On  the  I2th  of  September  M'Clure's 
journal  is  to  the  following  effect: 

"The  temperature  of  the  water  has  now  fallen  to  28°  Fahrenheit 
(freezing  point  of  sea- water.)  The  breeze  has  freshened  to  a  gale,  bring- 
ing with  it  snow,  and  sending  down  large  masses  of  ice  upon  us.  The 
pressure  is  considerable,  listing  the  vessel  several  degrees.  Fortunately 
a  large  floe,  which  was  fast  approaching  the  vessel,  has  had  its  progress 
arrested  by  one  extreme  of  it  taking  the  ground,  and  the  other  locking 
with  a  grounded  floe  upon  our  weather  beam.  It  is  thus  completely 
checked,  and  forms  a  safe  barrier  against  all  further  pressure.  As  the 
rudder  was  likely  to  become  damaged,  it  was  unhung  and  suspended 
over  the  stern.  We  can  now  do  nothing,  being  regularly  beset,  but 
await  any  favorable  change  of  the  ice,  to  which  we  anxiously  look  for- 
ward, knowing  that  the  navigable  season  for  this  year  has  almost 
reached  its  utmost  limit,  and  that  a  few  hours  of  clear  water  will  in  all 
probability  solve  the  problem  of  the  practicability  of  the  Northwest 
Passage." 

422 


PREPARED  FOR  DANGER.  433 

The  1 3th  and  I4th  brought  no  change  for  the  better,  but  on  the  i5th 
the  wind  veered  to  the  southward,  and  the  vessel  began  to  drift  up  the 
channel.  On  the  i6th  a  point  was  reached  only  thirty  miles  from  the 
beginning  of  the  water,  which,  under  the  name  of  Barrow,  Melville,  and 
Lancaster,  connects  with  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  through  the  ice- 
studded  waters  of  Baffin's  Bay.  For  some  reason,  the  ice  in  which  they 
had  been  drifting  would  go  no  farther,  arid  thus  at  this  tantalizing  dis- 
tance from  Barrow's  Strait  they  were  compelled  to  stop,  and  for  a  time 
relinquish  their  hope  of  reaching  the  Northwest  Passage. 

It  was  necessary  now  to  decide  whether  they  would  retrace  their 
steps  to  the  south  and  find  a  suitable  place  for  wintering,  or  remain  in  the 
pack  and  brave  the  dangers  long  since  declared  fatal  by  alleged  compe- 
tent authorities.  "I  decided,"  says  M'Clure,  "upon  the  "latter  course,  en- 
couraged by  the  consideration  that  to  relinquish  the  ground  obtained 
through  so  much  difficulty,  for  the  remote  chance  of  finding  safe  winter 
quarters,  would  be  injudicious,  thoroughly  impressed  as  I  was  with  the 
absolute  importance  of  retaining  every  mile,  to  insure  any  favorable  re- 
sult while  navigating  these  seas." 

The  ice  now  closed  about  the  Investigator,  and  her  peril  for  a  time  was 
imminent.  As  the  massive  floes  came  crowding  against  her,  causing  her  to 
surge  back  and  forth  in  her  narrow  bed,  the  noise  was  so  deafening  that  the 
orders  of  the  officers,  although  delivered  through  trumpets,  could  scarcely 
be  understood.  Anticipating  the  worst  that  could  happen,  Capt. 
M'Clure  ordered  a  large  quantity  of  provisions  and  fuel  to  be  placed  on 
deck,  the  officers  and  men  to  be  carefully  told  off  to  their  boats,  and 
every  one  to  be  in  readiness  for  a  final  catastrophe.  Every  precaution 
was  taken  to  save  life,  even  if  the  ship  could  not  be  preserved.  At 
length,  however,  the  old  floes  became  so  strongly  cemented  by  the  young 
ice,  that  the  element  around  the  vessel  assumed  a  state  of  quiescence, 
and  the  danger  which  had  been  threatening  was  for  a  time  averted. 

The  housing  was  now  stretched  over  the  ship,  and  the  customary 
preparations  for  winter  were  made.  Care  was  taken  to  leave  the  sunny 
side  of  the  vessel  uncovered,  in  order  that  the  light  might  be  enjoyed 
as  long  as  possible,  for  Capt.  M'Clure  was  well  aware  of  the  scorbutic 


4-2\  WINTERING  IN  THE  ARCTIC. 

difficulties  with  which  he  must  contend,  and  sought  to  antidote  them  as 
far  as  possible  in  advance.  Altogether,  the  crew  was  made  much  more 
than  ordinarily  comfortable,  and  the  usually  cheerless  prospect  of  a  win- 
ter in  the  ice  was  brightened  to  a  wonderful  degree  by  hopeful  spirits 
and  willing  hands. 

The  winter  was  well  spent  in  exploring  the  coast  adjacent  to  the  ves- 
sel's position,  and  in  battling  the  tendency  to  scurvy,  by  killing  what- 
ever could  be  found.  On  the  iSth  of  April,  1851,  three  exploring 
sledge  parties  were  sent  out  under  Lieut.  Haswell,  Lieut.  Cresswell, 


ARCTIC    HARES. 

and  Mr.  Wynniatt,  respectively  to  the  southeast,  northwest,  and  north- 
east, with  six  weeks'  provisions  each.  By  these  observations  the  sur- 
rounding coast  lines  were  accurately  traced,  but  no  sign  of  the  missing 
vessels  could  be  discovered.  The  party  first  mentioned  discovered  a 
tribe  of  Esquimaux  who  subsequently  visited  Capt.  M'Clure;  they 
proved  remarkably  intelligent,  and  readily  traced  on  paper  the  coast' 
line  of  Wollaston  and  Victoria  Land,  thereby  determining  the  long- 
disputed  point,  whether  or  not  these  districts  really  belong  to  the  Con- 
tinent of  North  America.  Above  eight  hundred  miles  were  traversed 
by  these  three  parties,  who  diligently  erected  cairns  and  deposited  in- 


POLAR  HUNTING  GROUNDS.  42r> 

structions  wherever  they  would  be  likely  to  arrest  the  attention  of  wan- 
derers; and  all  returned  to  headquarters  convinced,  from  the  total  ab- 
sence of  trace  or  sign,  that  Franklin  could  not  have  penetrated  these 
regions. 

Between  the  5th  and  226.  of  May  those  on  board  the  Investigator 
hailed  with  delight  the  signs  of  coming  summer.  The  vessel  was 
calked  and  painted,  and  hatchways  opened  to  dry  up  long  accumulated 
damp  between  decks;  the  stores  were  examined  and  culled  with  great 
care,  and  the  health  of  officers  and  crew  was  thoroughly  looked  into. 
Not  a  trace  of  scurvy  was  discovered,  "  a  record  unparalleled  in  the 
history  of  Arctic  voyages."  This  wonderful  exemption  from  disease 
was  largely  due  to  the  prevalence  of  game,  and  the  skill  exhibited  by 
the  crew  in  the  securing  of  it.  One  valley  visited  by  them  was  liter- 
ally alive  with  ptarmigans  an^  hares,  and  the  keen  appetites  of  the 
seamen  eventually  made  them  keen  sportsmen. 

In  the  latter  part  of  May  a  large  bear  passing  the  ship  was  shot  by 
M'Clure,  and  its  stomach  was  found  to  contain  an  astounding  medley. 

"  There  were  raisins  that  had  not  long  been  swallowed ;  a  few  small 
pieces  of  tobacco-leaf;  bits  of  fat  pork  cut  into  cubes,  which  the  ship's 
cook  declared  must  have  been  used  in  making  mock-turtle  soup,  an 
article  often  found  on  board  a  ship  in  a  preserved  form ;  and  lastly,  frag- 
ments of  sticking  plaster  which,  from  the  forms  in  which  they  had  been 
cut,  must  evidently  have  passed  through  the  hand  of  a  surgeon." 
Capt.  M'Clure,  being  ignorant  of  the  ships  which  had  been  sent 
out  from  England,  could  think  of  only  two  ways  in  which  this 
phenomenon  was  possible,  namely,  that  the  bear  had  come  over 
some  floe  of  ice  visited  by  the  Investigator  last  autumn,  or  that 
the  Enterprise  must  be  wintering  somewhere  in  the  vicinity.  But 
we  know,  or  might,  if  we  had  followed  the  Enterprise  on  her 
course  from  South  Amei'ica  to  Russian  America,  that  she  had  returned 
to  the  south,  and  was  at  this  time  in  China.  The  first  theory  was  ren- 
dered improbable  by  the  fact  that  no  vestige  left  by  the  Investigator  in 
her  churning  of  the  previous  autumn,  could  have  avoided  destruction  in 
the  endless  grinding  of  the  moving  ice.  A  meat-can  containing  all  the 


426  THE  ENTERPIUSP.. 

articles  mentioned  above,  was  afterward  found,  convincing  all  of  a  fact 
which  could  render  them  no  service, — that  some  other  party  had  win- 
tered in  their  immediate  neighborhood. 

The  ice  which  had  so  long  held  the  vessel  a  prisoner,  began  to  yield 
about  the  middle  of  July,  and  M'Clure  shaped  his  course  for  the  north- 
east, intending,  if  possible,  to  sound  the  northern  coast  of  Melville  Island. 
At  the  outset  of  her  voyage  the  Investigator  had  a  narrow  escape ;  the 
floe  to  which  she  was  temporarily  attached  gave  way,  and  the  detached 
portion  being  whirled  round  and  crushed  together  by  the  pressure  of 
surrounding  ice,  bore  down  with  tremendous  velocity  and  force  upon 
the  sturdy  vessel.  The  chains  and  lines  were  at  once  let  go,  and  the 
ship  thus  freed  from  the  floe — a  fortunate  event;  for  the  vessel  no  longer 
held  stationary,  was  driven  onward  by  the  blow,  and  so  escaped  from 
the  influence  of  the  floe.  6 

Escaped  from  this  danger,  the  Investigator  followed  her  course  with 
comparative  ease  until  the  2oth  of  August,  when  they  were  driven  be- 
tween the  ice  and  the  beach,  a  little  north  of  Prince  Albert's  Cape. 
Here  they  lay  till  the  ist  of  September,  in  comparative  safety.  At  this 
time,  however,  they  were  threatened  with  imminent  peril  from  an  im- 
mense floe  to  which  they  were  attached,  being  raised  by  surrounding 
pressure,  and  elevated  perpendicularly  thirty  feet.  A  few  moments  of 
suspense  and  anxious  watching  showed  all  on  board  how  small  an  ad- 
ditional force  would  turn  the  glassy  rocking-stone  completely  over,  and 
crush  the  helpless  vessel  in  that  awful  fall.  Gradually  the  floe  slipped 
down  and  righted  itself,  and  the  ship  so  long  and  severely  tried,  again 
sailed  level  on  her  course.  After  a  series  of  such  experiences  as  we 
have  just  narated,  the  Investigator  was  compelled  once  more  by  the  ad- 
vance of  winter  to  seek  winter  quarters.  A  harbor  on  the  north  of 
Baring  Island  was  chosen,  and  the  winter  of  1852-3  was  begun. 

Having  now  brought  to  a  close  the  narration  of  the  Investigator's 
experience  up  to  1853,  let  us  turn  to  the  course  of  the  Enterprise,  which 
started  with  the  Investigator  under  such  promising  circumstances.  Hav- 
ing, as  before  intimated,  wintered  in  China  in  1850-1,  she  had  the  next 
season  again  approached  the  north  coast  of  America,  and  on  the  24th  of 


ANXIETT  IN  ENGLAND.  437 

July  was  following  in  the  track  of"  the  Investigator,  around  Point  Bar- 
row. Struggling  along  as  far  as  she  could,  she  wintered  in  the 
ice  in  1851-2,  ac  the  southern  end  of  Prince  of  Wales  Strait.  It  was 
not  until  September,  1852,  that  the  Enterprise  seems  to  have  made  any 
progress  eastward  from  her  wintering-place — a  direction  which  Capt. 
Collinson  naturally  decided  upon  attempting,  with  a  view  to  penetrate 
the  distance  between  him  and  Cape  Walker.  He  reached  on  the  26th 
of  September,  Wollaston  Land,  where  he  passed  the  winter  of  1852—3, 
of  which  we  are  now  writing.  In  these  winter  quarters  they  were 
visited  by  Esquimaux,  one  tribe  of  whom  numbered  over  200.  In  their 
possession  was  found  a  piece  of  iron,  which  many  still  believe  to  have 
come  from  the  missing  ships.  This  seems  very  probable  from  what  we 
know  of  the  place  of  Franklin's  death;  but  Capt.  Collinson,  being  igno- 
rant of  that  fact,  could  have  no  idea  of  how  close  his  ship  was  to  the 
place  where  Dr.  Rae's  informants  afterward  stated  that  they  had  seen 
the  remains  of  Franklin's  men.  Leaving  now  the  Enterprise,  presuming 
that  she  experienced  a  very  severe  winter,  we  turn  once  more  to  the  In- 
vestigator, whose  adventurous  crew  and  officers  were  spending  their 
second  winter  in  the  ice. 

Their  story  from  this  point  may  be  told  in  few  words.  All  the 
English  vessels  which  had  sailed  in  the  same  year  with  the  two  ships  of 
our  narrative,  had  returned  home,  and  great  anxiety  was  beginning  to  be 
felt  for  the  long-absent  fleet.  The  commander  of  the  Investigator  had 
premised  the  necessity  of  eventually  abandoning  his  ship;  but  as  a  pre- 
liminary step,  selected  a  party  of  men  who  were  to  make  the  best  of 
their  way  out  of  the  ice  and  get  to  England  if  possible.  A  fortunate 
combination  of  circumstances,  however,  was  about  to  make  this  danger- 
ous journey  unnecessary. 

In  accordance  with  the  "Arctic  Committee's  Report,"  an  expedition 
for  the  relief  of  the  Enterprise  and  Investigator  was  sent  out  from  Eng- 
land in  the  spring  of  1852.  It  consisted  of  the  Assistance  and  the  Resolute, 
under  Sir  Edward  Belcher  and  Capt.  Kellett;  two  steam-tugs,  Intrepid 
and  Pioneer;  and  a  provision-ship,  the  North  Star,  under  Commander 
Pullen.  The  northern  waters  were  reached  by  way  of  Baffin's  Bay, 


428 


RELIEF  EXPEDITION.  429 

about  the  ist  of  September,  1853,  and  the  search  immediately  begun. 
Melville  Island  was  reached  by  Capt.  Kellett  of  the  Resolute,  and  Com- 
mander M'Clintock  of  the  Intrepid,  on  the  5th  of  September,  and  the 
vessels  made  fast  to  ice  which  still  lingered  in  Winter  Harbor,  the  well- 
known  wintering-place  of  Sir  Edward  Parry  in  the  year  1819. 

Having  become  securely  frozen  in  for  the  time,  parties  were  sent 
out  during  the  fall  and  winter  for  discovering  traces  of  either  of  the 
ships  sought.  On  one  of  these  occasions,  Lieut.  Meacham  of  the  Reso- 
lute, happened  to  inspect  more  closely  than  usual  the  famous  mass  of 
sandstone  on  which  Parry  had  caused  his  ship's  name  to  be  engraved. 
He  could  scarcely  credit  his  senses  when  he  discovered  a  document 
upon  its  summit,  detailing  the  practical  accomplishment  of  the  North- 
west Passage,  and  the  position  of  H.  M.  S.  Investigator  in  Banks  Land. 

Impressed  with  the  belief  that  the  Investigator  had  got  out  of  the 
Bay  of  Mercy  and  passed  to  the  northwest  of  Melville  Island,  M'Clin- 
tock and  Meacham  chose  routes  which  would  intercept  her  supposed 
track;  consequently,  Lieut.  Pirn  of  the  Resolute,  was,  with  Dr.  Dom- 
ville  of  the  same  ship,  chosen  to  make  a  journey  with  sledges  from 
Melville  Island  to  Banks  Land;  and  on  March  10,  1853,  they  started, 
amid  the  prayers  and  cheers  of  their  shipmates. 

In  the  meantime,  April,  1853,  greeted  the  inmates  of  the  Investiga- 
tor. All  preparations  had  been  made  for  the  departure  of  the  party  be- 
fore referred  to.  On  the  5th  of  April  a  fine  deer  was  hung  up  ready  to 
be  divided  for  a  hearty  meal,  of  which  all  hands  were  to  partake  before 
their  separation.  The  events  of  this  day  are  given  in  the  language  of 
M'Clure's  journal:  "  While  walking  near  the  ship  ****** 
we  perceived  a  figure  walking  rapidly  toward  us  from  the  rough  ice  at 
the  entrance  of  the  bay.  From  his  face  and  gestures  we  both  naturally 
supposed  at  first  that  he  was  some  one  of  our  party  pursued  by  a  bear, 
but  as  we  approached  him,  doubts  arose  as  to  who  it  could  be.  He  was 
certainly  unlike  any  of  our  men;  but  recollecting  that  it  was  possible 
some  one  might  be  trying  a  new  traveling  dress,  preparatory  to  the 
departure  of  our  sledges,  and  certain  that  no  one  else  was  near,  we  con- 
tinued to  advance;  when  within  about  two  hundred  yards  of  us,  this 


430  PIM'S  RECEPTION. 

strange  figure  threw  up  his  arms,  and  made  gesticulations  resembling 
those  of  Esquimaux,  besides  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  words 
which,  from  the  wind  and  the  intense  excitement  of  the  moment,  sounded 
like  a  wild  screech;  and  this  brought  us  to  a  stand-still.  The  stranger 
came  quietly  on,  and  we  saw  that  his  face  was  black  as  ebony,  and  really 
at  the  moment  we  might  be  pardoned  for  wondering  whether  he  was  a 
denizen  of  this  world  or  the  other,  and  had  he  but  given  us  a  glimpse  of 
a  tail  or  a  cloven  hoof,  we  should  have  assuredly  taken  to  our  legs;  as  it 
was,  we  gallantly  stood  our  ground,  and  had  the  skies  fallen  upon  us,  we 
could  hardly  have  been  more  astonished  than  when  the  dark-faced 
stranger  called  out: 

"'I'm  Lieut.  Pirn,  late  of  the  Herald,  and  now  in  the  Resolute. 
Capt.  Kellett  is  in  her  at  Dealy  Island.' 

"To  rush  at,  and  seize  him  by  the  hand,  was  the  first  impulse,  for  the 
heart  was  too  full  for  utterance.  The  announcement  of  relief  at  hand, 
when  none  was  supposed  to  be  even  within  the  Arctic  circle,  was  too  sud- 
den, unexpected,  and  joyous,  for  our  minds  to  comprehend  it  at  once. 
The  news  flew  with  lightning  rapidity,  the  ship  was  all  in  commotion; 
the  sick  forgetting  their  maladies,  leapt  from  their  hammocks;  the  artifi- 
cers dropped  their  tools,  and  the  lower  deck  was  cleared  of  men,  for 
they  all  rushed  to  the  hatchway  to  be  assured  that  a  stranger  was  ac- 
tually amongst  them,  and  that  his  tale  was  true.  Despondency  fled  from 
the  ship,  and  Lieut.  Pirn  received  a  welcome — pure,  hearty,  .and  grate- 
ful— that  he  will  assuredly  remember  and  cherish  to  the  end  of  his  days." 

M'Clure  at  once  decided  to  visit  Capt.  Kellett  to  make  arrangements 
with  him  for  conveying  to  England  all  the  sick  on  board  his  vessel.  It 
was  still  his  purpose  to  remain  by  the  Investigator  another  season  if 
necessary,  rather  than  abandon  her  while  any  possibility  of  her  release 
remained.  We  can  easily  conceive  of  the  nature  of  his  meeting  with 
Capt.  Kellett.  They  had  last  parted  on  that  eventful  day  in  1850  when 
Kellett  had  felt  tempted  to  restrain  M'Clure  until  his  consort  came  up — 
a  course  which,  if  it  had  been  adopted,  would  probably  have  prevented  the 
happy  achievement  of  the  Northwest  Passage. 

Capt.  Kellett,  however,  did  not  feel  it  to  be  in   accordance  with   his 


THE  INVESTIGATOR  ABANDONED.  431 

duty  to  allow  M'Clure  to  once  more  peril  the  lives  of  his  crew  by  rashly 
remaining  in  the  ice  during  the  winter  of  1853-4.  A  consulta- 
tion between  Dr.  Domville  and  Dr.  Armstrong  resulted  in  condemning 
the  measure  as  impracticable,  considering  the  health  of  the  Investigator's 
crew;  and  M'Clure  himself,  found  to  his  surprise  and  mortification  that 
only  four  of  his  whole  number  felt  able  and  willing  to  go  through 
another  winter.  Much,  therefore,  as  he  regretted  the  step,  he  felt  justified 
in  leaving  the  Investigator  and  proceeding  with  his  disabled  crew  to  the 
hospitable  Resolute  and  Intrepid,  where  he  arrived  June  17.  Their 
troubles,  however,  were  yet  by  no  means  at  an  end ;  for  the  gallant 
squadron  which  had  volunteered  their  rescue,  in  turn  found  itself  beset 
and  unable  to  leave  its  doubtful  harbor  until  another  summer — that  of 
1854. 

The  events  which  led  to  their  final  release,  and  the  circumstances  of 
the  questionable  desertion  by  Sir  Edward  Belcher  of  several  ships  in 
good  order,  will  be  fully  presented  in  the  succeeding  chapter. 


HEAD  OF  REINDEER. 


CHAPTER    XL VIII. 

BELCHER'S    INNOVATION  —  HIS    INSTRUCTIONS   TO  CAPT.  KELLETT  — 

RETURN  TO  ENGLAND A  COURT-MARTIAL A  BRITISH  WRITER'S 

FANCY OSBORN    AND    CATOR  TRACES  REPORT    OF    RAfi's 

DISCOVERIES A  THRILLING   STORY. 

The  abandonment  of  a  number  of  ships  in  good  condition,  well- 
provisioned,  and  with  good  promise  of  release  within  a  reasonable  period, 
certainly  constituted,  at  the  time,  a  novel  conclusion  to  a  series  of  Arctic 
ventures;  and  one  which  subsequent  repetition  has  never  justified;  so  that, 
in  pursuing  this  course,  Sir  Edward  Belcher  may  at  least  have  had  the 
satisfaction  of  complete  originality.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  chapter^ 
however,  to  pronounce  final  judgment  upon  the  wisdom  of  choices,  nor 
to  attempt  to  criticise  motives,  but  simply  to  give  the  facts  as  they 
occurred;  from  which  the  reader  will  be  free  to  form  his  own  conclusions. 

While  M'Clintock  and  Kellett  had  been  pushing  their  investigations 
in  the  direction  of  Melville  Island  and  Banks  Land,  the  remainder  of 
Belcher's  squadron  had  continued  at  or  near  Beechey  Island,  and  had 
made  it  the  center  of  operations.  Although  some  good  service  was 
rendered  in  the  way  of  surveying  and  exploration,  Sir  Edward's  course 
appears  to  have  been  timid  and  unsailorlike  throughout.  His  ships 
Pioneer  and  Assistance,  having  become  temporarily  beset  fifty  miles  north 
of  Beechey  Island,  surprising  arrangements  for  the  abandonment  of  the 
whole  fleet  were  at  once  made  by  Belcher. 

Totally  ignorant  of  such  an  arrangement  on  the  part  of  the  senior 
officer,  the  commanders  of  the  Resolute  and  Intrepid,  which  we  left  frozen 
up  in  the  winter  of  1853-4,  had  so  carefully  and  judiciously  husbanded 
their  resources  that  they  were  prepared  for  the  possible  contingency 
of  being  compelled  to  remain  still  another  year  in  the  ice  near  Barrow's 

Strait.    This  fact  was  all  the  more  to  their  credit  because  they  had  added 

432 


BELCHERS  INSTRUCTIONS.  433 

to  their  list  of  consumers  the  exhausted  crew  of  the  Investigator.  Capt. 
Kellett  was  therefore  surprised  to  receive  from  Sir  Edward,  in  the  spring 
of  1854,  a  confidential  letter  containing  the  following  remarkable 
passage : 

"  Should  Capt.  Collinson,  of  the  Enterprise,  fortunately  reach  you, 
you  will  pursue  the  same  course,  and  not  under  any  consideration  risk 
the  detention  of  another  season.  These  are  the  views  of  the  govern- 
ment; and  having  so  far  explained  myself,  I  will  not  hamper  you  with 
further  instructions  than,  meet  me  at  Beechey  Island,  \vith  the  crews  of 
all  vessels,  before  the  26th  of  August." 

Determined  not  to  take  such  a  course  hastily,  Capt.  Kellett  sent  Capt. 
M'Clintock  to  inform  Sirr  Edward  Belcher  of  the  perfect  possibility  of 
saving  his  ships;  to  advise  him  of  the  stores  of  provisions  which  had 
been  saved  up;  to  assure  him  of  the  health  of  the  men;  and  to  express 
his  disapproval  of  so  unnecessary  and  unwise  a  movement.  These  rep- 
resentations, however,  were  unavailing.  Sir  Edward  sent  back  by 
M'Clintock  an  order  for  abandoning  the  Resolute  and  Assistance,  and  the 
Investigator's  brave  crew,  "  who  had  lived  through  such  trials  and  hard- 
.ships  for  four  winters,  stared  .to  see  all  hands  gradually  retreating  upon 
Beechey  Island,  ready  to  return  to  England  as  speedily  as  possible." 

Thus,  leaving  Capt.  Collinson  to  steer  the  Enterprise  safely  out  as 
best  he  might,  and  abandoning  the  good  ships  Investigator,  Resolute, 
Assistance,  Intrepid  and  Pioneer,  Belcher  ordered  the  combined  crews 
of  those  five  vessels  to  seek  quarters  on  board  the  North  Star  provision- 
ship,  and  embarked  for  England  in  charge  of  many  chagrined  and  dis- 
satisfied Englishmen.  All,  including  the  Enterprise,  reached  England 
in  September,  1854,  being  welcomed  home  by  a  sympathizing  but  dis- 
appointed people. 

The  matter  of  the  abandonment  of  the  Investigator  was  of  course 
formally  examined,  and  Capt.  M'Clure  was  tried  by  a  court-martial ;  a 
proceeding  which  resulted  in  his  most  honorable  acquittal.  Not  knowing 
what  might  in  the  meantime  have  been  accomplished  by  Sir  John  Frank- 
lin, the  admiralty,  agreeing  that  M'Clure  had  virtually  achieved  a 
Northwest  Passage,  were  unanimous  in  bestowing  upon  himself  and 
28 


434  AN  ENGLISH  WRITER'S  FANCT. 

crew  £10,000,  or  half  of  the  standing  reward.  In  addition  to  this  dis- 
tinction, M'Clure  was  knighted  by  the  Queen,  and  several  of  his  officers 
received  merited  promotion. 

Sir  Edward  Belcher  was  also  tried  by  a  court-martial,  but,  although 
he  was  barely  acquitted,  the  venerable  chairman  of  the  judicial  body  be- 
fore whom  he  was  brought,  handed  him  his  sword  in  "  significant 
silence."  Concerning  the  justice  of  the  acquittal,  it  seems  difficult  to 
determine,  but  his  course  in  this  particular  case  seems  to  be  in  contrast 
with  the  usually  generous,  courageous  spirit  of  the  British  sailor.  A 
writer  contemporaneous  with  the  events  just  narrated,  thus  feelingly  de- 
scribes the  condition  of  the  abandoned  vessels: 

"Meantime,  it  is  sad  to  think  of  those  poor  doomed  vessels,  which  we 
have  invested  with  so  much  personality  in  our  nautical  fashion,  deserted 
thus  in  that  lone  white  wilderness!  We  can  fancy  in  the  long  coming 
winter,  how  weird  and  strange  they  will  appear  in  the  clear  moonlight 
— the  only  dark  object  in  the  dazzling  plain  around.  How  solemn  and 
oppressive  the  silence  and  solitude  all  around  them!  No  more  broken 
by  the  voices,  and  full-toned  shouts,  and  ringing  laughter,  which  so  often 
wake  the  echoes  far  and  near;  varied  only  by  the  unearthly  sounds  that 
sweep  over  these  dreary  regions  when  a  fissure  opens  in  the  great  ice- 
fields, or  the  wild,  mournful  wailing  of  the  wind  among  the  slender 
shrouds  and  tall,  tapering  masts,  that  stand  so  sharply  defined  in  their 
blackness  upon  the  snowy  background.  And  so,  perchance,  long  years 
will  pass,  till  the  snow  and  ice  may  have  crept  round  and  over  them,  and 
they  bear  less  resemblance  to  noble  English  sailors  than  to  shapeless 
masses  of  crystal;  or  more  likely  some  coming  winter  storm  may  rend 
the  bars  of  their  prison,  and  drive  them  out  in  its  fury  to  toss'  upon  the 
waves,  until  the  angry  ice  gathers  around  its  prey,  and,  crushing  them 
like  nut-shells  in  its  mighty  grasp,  sends  a  sullen  booming  roar  over  the 
water — the  knell  of  these  intruders  on  the  ancient  Arctic  solitudes!" 

VOYAGE  OF  LIEUT.  OSBORN. 

In  following  the  fortunes  of  the  various  expeditions  sent  out  in  the 
year  1850,  we  must  not  omit  to  speak  of  the  adventures  of  the  Pioneer 


435 


436  OSBORN  AND  CATOR. 

and  Intrepid,  under  Lieuts.  Osborn  and  -Cator,  both  of  whom  proved 
themselves  brave  and  efficient  navigators.  As  will  be  seen  by  their  in- 
structions, the  object  of  their  voyage  was  essentially  the  same  as  that  of 
the  other  expeditions  which  were  prepared  and  sent  out  almost  at  the 
same  time.  They  received  orders  from  the  admiralty  to  examine  Bar- 
row's Strait,  southwesterly  to  Cape  Walker,  westerly  toward  Melville 
Island,  and  northwesterly  up  Wellington  Channel. 

Starting  from  England  early  in  May,  the  coast  of  Greenland  was 
sighted  on  the  26th,  and  the  Whalefish  Island,  their  first  stopping  place, 
soon  arrived  at.  May  and  June  were  both  spent  in  cruising  up  the  west 
coast  of  Greenland,  and  endeavoring  to  effect  a  safe  passage  to  the 
opposite  shore  of  Baffin's  Bay.  During  the  first  days  of  July,  Osborn 
had  his  first  experience  of  the  real  perils  of  the  Arctic  world.  The 
hands  were  all  at  dinner  when  the  startling  announcement  was  made 
that  a  large  body  of  ice  was  bearing  down  upon  the  ship,  and  threaten- 
ing to  crush  her  in  its  surging  mass.  The  best  security  in  emergencies 
of  this  kind,  is  the  preparation  of  docks  in  the  body  of  the  ice,  cut  in  the 
portion  which  is  firm  and  solid.  The  ships  are  then  thrust  into  these 
artificial  "  leads,"  as  it  were,  and  thus  are  protected  by  the  very  element 
to  whose  tender  mercies  they  were  but  a  short  time  before  exposed.  In 
this  case  the  combined  crews  were  instantly  on  the  ice,  their  triangles 
were  rigged,  and  their  long  ice-saws  were  at  work.  The  relief  was 
much  needed,  for  the  floe  was  coming  with  terrible  force,  and  the  col- 
lisions between  pack  and  berg  were  frequent  and  prodigious. 

After  struggling  through  almost  impenetrable  ice  for  several  weeks, 
they  reached  Lancaster  Sound  on  the  22d  of  August,  and  began  the 
search.  They  soon  reached  Beechey  Island,  on  which  the  three  graves 
of  Franklin's  men  were  to  be  found,  together  with  other  evidences  of  his 
having  wintered  there  during  1845-6,  the  first  winter  of  his  absence. 

When  about  to  leave  Beechey  Island  Osborn  found  it  difficult  under 
his  directions  to  determine  what  course  to  pursue.  Franklin  had  evidently 
chosen  one  of  three  routes  on  leaving  Beechey  Island.  He  must  either 
have  proceeded  southwest  by  Cape  Walker,  west  by  Melville  Island,  or 
northwest  through  Wellington  Channel.  In  the  meantime,  vague  reports 


STRICKEN  FROM  THE  NA  VT  LIST.  437 

became  current  that  Penny  or  his  men  had  discovered  sledge-tracks  on 
the  west  coast  of  Beechey  Island.  He  therefore  determined  to  explore 
this  island  in  person,  before  adopting  any  other  course.  First  finding  the 
sledge-marks  he  divided  his  party,  and  each  followed  the  sledge-marks  in 
an  opposite  direction.  Among  other  things  he  discovered  the  site  of  a 
circular  hut  or  "shack,"  which  had  apparently  been  built  and  used  by  a 
shooting  party  from  the  Erebus  or  Terror.  The  stones  used  instead  of 
stakes,  which  could  not  be  driven  into  the  frozen  ground,  lay  scattered 
around,  and  some  well-blackened  boulders  indicated  where  the  fireplace 
had  been.  Bones,  empty  meat-cans,  and  porter  bottles  were  strewn 
around,  and  told  of  feasts  and  good  cheer,  but  no  'written  word  helped  to 
solve  the  mystery  which  occupied  so  fully  the  minds  of  our  searchers. 

Soon  after  this  the  Intrepid  and  Pioneer  fell  in  with  the  other  Eng- 
lish vessels  which,  together  with  the  two  American  brigs,  were  engaged 
in  exploring  the  same  regions  as  themselves.  Nothing  further  of  interest 
occurred  save  the  hardships  and  adventures  common  to  any  crew 
experiencing  the  rigor  of  an  Arctic  winter.  After  spending  the  winter 
of  1850-1  in  the  ice  and  narrowly  escaping  a  second  imprisonment,  the 
squadron  reached  England  in  September,  1851,  after  a  successful  trip  of 
three  weeks. 

DISCOVERIES  AND   REPORT  OF  DR.   RAE. 

Early  in  the  year  1854,  before  the  return  of  M'Clure  and  Belcher, 
the  following  notice  appeared  in  the  London  Gazette: 

"Notice  is  hereby  given  that  if  intelligence  be  not  received  before  the 
3 ist  of  March  next  of  the  officers  and  crews  of  H.  M.  S.  Erebus  and 
Terror  being  alive,  the  names  of  the  officers  will  be  removed  from  the 
Navy  List,  and  they  and  the  crews  of  those  ships  will  be  considered  as 
having  died  in  Her  Majesty's  service.  The  pay  and  wages  of  the  officers 
and  crews  of  those  ships  will  cease  on  the  3ist  of  March  next;  and  all 
persons  legally  entitled,  and  qualifying  themselves  to  claim  the  pay  and 
wages  then  due,  will  be  paid  the  same  on  application  to  the  Accountant 
General  of  Her  Majesty's  navy. 

"By  command  of  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty." 


438  A  THRILLING  STORT. 

In  a  letter  full  of  affection  and  hope  for  her  lost  consort,  Lady  Frank- 
lin deprecated  to  the  admiralty  the  necessity  under  which  they  had  felt 
compelled  to  take  this  summary  step.  In  gracious  terms  the  admiralty 
explained  to  her  ladyship  the  exigencies  of  the  case.  Their  sympathies 
and  finances  were  all  needed  for  the  prosecution  of  the  Russian  war;  and 
the  particular  date  announced  had  been  chosen  since  it  was  the  close  of 
the  fiscal  year,  and  it  was  necessary  to  close  the  accounts  for  that  period. 

However  cruel  it  may  seem  to  have  thus  classed  among  the  dead  those 
of  whose  death  no  certain  tidings  had  been  gained,  the  intelligence  re- 
ceived from  Dr.  Rae  a  few  months  later,  seems  to  have  confirmed  as  ap- 
propriate, the  decision  of  the  admiralty.  His  story  is  briefly  this:  He 
had  been  sent  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  in  1853  to  complete  the 
survey  of  the  long  isthmus  of  land  which  connects  North  Somerset  with 
the  American  continent  under  the  name  of  Boothia. 

Repeating  his  plan  of  operations  in  1849,  ^-ae  wintered  at  the  lakes 
on  the  isthmus  which  divide  Regent's  Inlet  from  Repulse  Bay,  and  early 
in  the  spring  of  1854  started  with  his  sledge  party  to  accomplish  his 
task.  While  making  his  way  to  the  northwest,  he  met  on  the  2oth  of 
April  an  Esquimaux,  who,  upon  being  asked  if  he  had  ever  seen  any 
ships  or  white  men,  replied  no,  but  that  "a  party  of  white  men  had  died 
of  starvation  a  long  distance  to  the  west  of  where  he  then  was,  and  be- 
yond a  large  river!" 

After  questioning  this  Esquimaux  further,  Rae  gleaned  the  following 
information,  which  we  give  as  it  was  presented  in  his  report:  "In  the 
spring,  four,  winters  since  (1850),  while  some  Esquimaux  families  were 
killing  seals  near  the  north  coast  of  a  large  island,  named  in  Arrow- 
smith's  charts  King  William's  Land,  about  forty  white  men  were  seen 
traveling  in  company  southward  over  the  ice,  and  dragging  a  boat  and 
sledges  with  them.  They  were  passing  along  the  west  shore  of  the 
above-named  island.  None  of  the  above  party  could  speak  the  Esqui- 
maux language  so  well  as  to  be  understood ;  but  by  signs  the  natives 
were  led  to  believe  that  the  ship  or  ships  had  been  crushed  by  ice,  and 
that  they  were  now  going  where  they  expected  to  find  deer  to  shoot. 
From  the  appearance  of  the  men,  all  of  whom,  with  the  exception  of 


439 


440  CANNIBALISM. 

an  officer,  were  hauling  on  the  drag-ropes  of  the  sledge,  and  looked  thin, 
they  were  then  supposed  to  be  getting  short  of  provisions;  and  they  pur- 
chased a  seal,  or  piece  of  seal  from  the  natives.  The  officer  was  de- 
scribed as  being  a  tall,  stout,  middle-aged  man.  When  their  day's  jour- 
ney terminated,  they  pitched  tents  to  rest  in. 

"At  a  later  date  the  same  season,  but  previous  to  the  disruption  of  the 
ice,  the  corpses  of  some  thirty  persons,  and  some  graves,  were  discov- 
ered on  the  continent,  and  five  dead  bodies  on  an  island  near  it,  about  a 
long  day's  journey  to  the  northwest  of  the  mouth  of  a  large  stream, 
which  can  be  no  other  than  Back's  Great  Fish  River,  as  its  description 
and  that  of  the  low  shore  in  the  neighborhood  of  Point  Ogle  and  Mon- 
treal Island  agree  exactly  with  that  of  Sir  Geo.  Back.  Some  of  the 
bodies  were  in  a  tent  or  tents;  others  were  under  the  boat,  which  had 
been  turned  over  to  form  a  shelter,  and  some  lay  scattered  about  in  dif- 
ferent directions.  Of  those  seen  on  the  island,  one  was  supposed  to  have 
been  an  officer,  as  he  had  a  telescope  strapped  over  his  shoulders,  and  a 
double-barreled  gun  lay  beneath  him. 

"  From  the  mutilated  state  of  many  of  the  bodies,  and  the  contents  of 
the  kettles,  it  is  evident  that  our  wretched  countrymen  had  been  driven 
to  the  dread  alternative  of  cannibalism  as  a  means  of  sustaining  life. 
There  must  have  been  among  this  party  a  number  of  telescopes,  guns, 
watches,  compasses,  etc.,  all  of  which  seem  to  have  been  broken  up,  as  I 
saw  pieces  of  these  articles  with  the  natives,  and  I  purchased  as  many  as 
possible,  together  with  some  silver  spoons  and  forks,  an  Order  of  Merit 
in  the  form  of  a  star,  and  a  small  silver  plate  engraved  'Sir  John  Frank- 
lin, K.  C.  B.'" 

In  this  report  Dr.  Rae  sent  a  list  of  things  bought  from  the  Esqui- 
maux, and  afterward  on  his  return  to  England  brought  the  articles  them- 
selves, and  received  the  proffered  reward  of  «£io,ooo.  He  had  not  proved 
the  death  of  Franklin,  but  his  account  bore  terribly  painful  evidence  to 
the  now  generally  received  opinion  that  the  whole  combined  crew,  135 
in  number,  had  miserably  perished.  From  Rae  we  revert  to  the  details 
of  the  adventures  of  the  American  Grinnell  Expedition,  already  referred 
to  in  a  previous  chapter. 


CHAPTER    XLIX. 

FIRST  GRINNELL  EXPEDITION  -  ACTION  OF  CONGRESS  -  REXEVOLEXCE 
OF  MR.  GRINNELL  -  INSTRUCTIONS  -  LEAVE  NEW  YORK  -  MEL- 
VILLE BAY  -  IN  A  LEAD  -  ICE-NAVIGATION  -  ARCTIC  FLORA  -  A 
FORTUNATE  ESCAPE. 

•The  anxiety  felt  by  the  people  of  Great  Britain  for  the  rescue  or  dis- 
covery of  Sir  John  Franklin,  was  warmly  appreciated  and  shared  by 
their  friends  on  this  side  of  the  water.  Except  from  a  scientific  stand- 
point, the  discovery  of  a  Northwest  Passage  did  not,  for  plain  reasons, 
have  the  interest  for  the  United  States  that  it  had  for  England.  But 
America  had  looked  with  admiration  upon  that  display  of  valor  and  hero- 
ism which  had  had  such  a  tragical  termination;  and  her  great  heart 
beat  in  sympathy  for  the  bereaved  nation  and  the  afflicted  widow.  Thus 
we  find  private  benevolence  co-operating  with  the  public  purse  in  fitting 
in  behalf  of  the  object  common  to  at  least  two  nations. 


The  chief  American  expeditions  for  this  purpose  were  three  in  number, 
commonly  called  the  Grinnell  Expeditions,  from  the  agency  of  Mr.  Henry 
Grinnell  of  New  York,  in  their  conception  and  execution.  The  first  was 
commanded  by  Lieut.  DeHaven,  U.  N.  ;  the  second  by  Dr.  Kane,  U.  N., 
and  the  third  by  Mr.  C.  F.  Hall,  of  Cincinnati.  An  account  of  these 
voyages  will  be  given  in  their  chronological  order. 

Lady  Jane  Franklin  had  personally  applied  to  the  United  States  for 
aid  "  in  the  enterprise  of  snatching  the  lost  navigators  from  a  dreary 
grave."  The  matter  was  considered  by  Congress,  but  owing  to  the  cir- 
cumstances and  time  of  its  introduction,  the  measure  for  responding  to 
this  appeal  was  threatened  by  defeat.  At  this  juncture  the  benevolent 
gentleman  above  mentioned  generously  fitted  out  two  of  his  own  vessels 
and  tendered  their  use  to  the  United  States  government.  Reassured  or 

stimulated  by  such  liberality,  Congress  accepted  the  gift,  and  immediately 

441 


442  DESCRIPTION  OF   THE  ADVANCE. 

authorized  the  executive  to  detach  men  find  officers  from  the  navy  to 
accompany  and  take  charge  of  the  expedition.  Lieut.  Edward  J.  De- 
Haven  was  chosen  as  commander,  and  Dr.  E.  K.  Kane,  who  was  sum- 
moned by  telegram  from  his  field  of  labor  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as 
medical  officer. 

It  may  be  well  to  state  here,  that  Lieut.  DeHaven  declining  to  make 
more  than  an  official  report  of  the  voyage,  an  extended  account  was 
written  and  published  by  Dr.  Kane,  being  compiled  largely  from  his 
journal.  We  shall  feel  free,  accordingly,  when  occasion  presents  itself, 
to  quote  from  his  copious  observations  in  his  own  clear  and  graceful 
style. 

The  two  vessels  proffered  by  Mr.  Grinnell  for  the  use  of  the  party, 
were  the  brigs,  Advance  and  Rescue,  and  were  admirably  calculated  for 
their  intended  service.  In  an  enterprise  of  this  kind  strength  rather  than 
weight  or  size  seems  to  be  the  desideratum,  and  the  following  descrip- 
tion of  the  Advance,  given  by  Dr.  Kane,  well  shows  the  good  judgment 
of  Mr.  Grinnell  in  the  matter  of  selection : 

"  Commencing  with  the  outside,  the  hull  was  literally  double,  a  brig 
within  a  brig.  An  outer  sheathing  of  two  and  a  half  inch  oak  was 
covered  with  a  second  of  the  same  material;  and  strips  of  heavy  sheet 
iron  extended  from  the  bows  to  the  beam  as  a  shield  against  the  cutting 
action  of  the  ice.  The  decks  were  water-tight—made  so  by  a  packing 
of  tarred  paper  between  them.  The  entire  interior  was  lined,  ceiled  with 
cork,  which,  independently  of  its  low  conducting  power,  was  a  valuable 
protection  against  the  condensing  moisture,  one  of  the  greatest  evils  of 
the  polar  climate. 

"  The  strengthening  of  her  skeleton — her  wooden  framework — was 
admirable.  Forward  from  keelson  to  deck  was  a  mass  of  solid  timbers, 
clamped  and  dovetailed  with  nautical  wisdom,  for  seven  feet  from  the 
cutwater;  so  that  we  could  spare  a  foot  or  two  of  our  bow  without  spring- 
ing aleak.  To  prevent  the  ice  from  forcing  in  her  sides  she  was  built 
with  an  extra  set  of  beams  running  athwart  her  'length  at  intervals  of 
four  feet,  and  so  arranged  as  to  ship  and  unship  at  pleasure.  From  the 
Samson  posts,  strong,  radiating  timbers,  called  shores,  diverged  in  every 


INSTRUCTIONS.  443 

direction ;  and  oaken  knees,  hanging  and  oblique,  were   added  wherever 
space  would  permit." 

The  plan  of  the  voyage,  as  indicated  hy  the  formal  message  of 
instruction  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  Lieut.  DeHaven,  was 
briefly  as  follows: 

The  main  object  of  the  expedition  was  understood  to  be  the  discovery 
of  Sir  Jno.  Franklin  and  his  companions;  subjects  of  scientific  inquiry 
were  to  be  considered  only  so  far  as  they  might  not  interfere  with  the 
grand  object  of  the  search. 

The  ships  were  to  steer  for  Barrow's  Straits,  and  decision  was  to  be 
then  made  as  to  whether  they  should  separate;  in  case  of  separation  a 
place  of  rendezvous  was  to  be  agreed  upon  with  Commander  Griffin, 
who  was  to  have  charge  of  the  Rescue. 

In  case  Barrow's  Strait  could  not  be  approached  or  penetrated,  atten- 
tion was  to  be  directed  to  Smith's  Sound  or  Jones'  Sound;  and  in  case  the 
ice  should  materially  obstruct  these,  making  entrance  impossible  or  dan- 
gerous, the  expedition  was  advised  to  return  at  once  to  New  York,  or 
make  further  search  at  the  discretion  of  the  leader. 

As  the  entire  Arctic  face  of  the  Continent  had  been  traversed  in 
search  of  the  missing  navigators,  it  was  thought  useless  to  re-examine 
those  points. 

The  commander  was  enjoined  not  to  take  any  course  which  would 
hazard  his  own  life  or  that  of  the  crew,  and  was  advised  to  spend  only 
one  winter  in  the  Arctic  regions. 

On  the  22d  of  May,  1850,  the  two  ships  were  towed  out  of  New 
York  harbor  and  after  taking  leave  of  Mr.  Grinnell  and  his  sons,  who 
had  accompanied  the  ships  out  to  sea,  they  tacked  away  in  good  earnest, 
and  were  soon  out  of  sight  of  the  metropolis.  The  course  along  up  the 
Atlantic  till  the  coast  of  Greenland  was  reached,  was  varied  by  the  new 
experiences  of  icebergs  and  driftwood  from  the  far  north.  An  occasional 
school  of  whales  was  met,  to  amuse  the  crew  with  their  porpoise-like 
tumbling  about  the  ship.  The  lengthening  days,  also,  as  gradual  advance 
was  made  toward  the  north,  was  a  novel  experience,  and  when  at  last  the 
sun  ceased  altogether  to  disappear  below  the  horizon,  the  usual  order  of 


444  ARCTIC    TERMS. 

things  seemed  quite  subverted.  To  these  things  the  crew  quickly  became 
accustomed,  and  routine  on  board  the  ships  being  perfect,  the  enthusiasm 
for  discovery  soon  caused  these  disturbing  elements  to  be  forgotten. 

The  ist  of  July  found  the  little  squadron  approaching  Melville 
Bay — that  well-known  wholesale  depot  of  ice,  both  new  and  old. 
It  was  the  fate  of  the  Advance  and  Rescue,  as  it  had  been  of  many  ships 
before  them,  to  become  engaged  in  a  large  ice-pack;  and  for  weeks  they 
lay  without  being  able  to  advance  or  recede,  except  with  the  pack.  It 
may  not  be  generally  known  that  ice-navigation,  or  the  maneuvering  of 
a  vessel  necessary  when  involved  in  a  pack,  has  become  a  recognized 
branch  of  the  nautical  art, — being,  as  it  were,  a  science  in  itself,  and 
having  its  own  terminology  to  designate  the  difficulties  peculiar  to  such 
an  event,  and  the  movements  necessary  to  gain  relief.  Dr.  Kane's  de- 
scription of  a  scene  in  this  particular  time  of  extremity  is  too  vivid  and 
typical  to  omit  or  abridge: 

"  Let  us  begin  by  imagining  a  vessel  or,  for  variety,  two  of  them 
speeding  along  at  eight  knots  an  hour,  and  heading  directly  for  a  long, 
low  margin  of  ice  about  two  miles  off.  '  D'ye  see  any  opening  ?'  cries 
the  captain,  hailing  an  officer  on  the  fore  top-sail  yard.  'Something  like 
a  lead  a  little  to  leeward  of  that  iceberg  on  our  port-bow  !'  In  a  little 
while  we  near  the  ice;  our  light  sails  are  got  in,  our  commander  taking 
the  place  of  the  officer,  who  has  resumed  his  station  on  the  deck.  *  * 

"  Now  commences  the  process  of  '  conning.'  Such  work  with  the 
helm  is  not  often  seen  in  ordinary  seas.  The  brig's  head  is  pointed  for 
the  open  gap;  the  watch  are  stationed  at  the  braces;  a  sort  of  silence 
prevails.  Presently  comes  down  the  stentorian  voice  of  our  commander, 
'Hard-a  starboard!'  and  at  the  same  moment,  the  yards  yield  to  the  ready 
hands  on  the  braces.  The  ship  turns  her  nose  into  a  sudden  indentation, 
and  bangs  her  quarters  against  a  big  lump  of  smashing  ice.  '  Steady, 
there!'  For  half  a  minute  not  a  sound,  until  a  second  yell, — 'Down, 
down!  hard  down  !'  and  then  we  rub,  and  scrape,  and  jam,  and  thrust 
aside,  and  are  thrust  aside;  but  somehow  or  other  find  ourselves  in  an 
open  canal  losing  itself  in  the  distance.  This  is  a  lead.  *  * 

"  Looking  ahead,  we  see  that  our  lead  is  getting  narrower,  its  sides 


IN-  A  LEAD. 


445 


edging  toward  each  other;  it  is  losing  its  straightness.  At  the  same 
moment  came  a  complicated  succession  of  orders :  '  Helm-a  starboard ! 
'  Port! '  '  Easy! '  '  So! '  '  Steady-ee!'  '  Hard-a-port ! '  '  Hard,  hard,  hard! ' 
(Scrape,  scratch,  thump.)  'Eugh!'  an  anomalous  grunt,  and  we  are 
jammed  fast  between  two  great  ice-fields  of  unknown  extent.  The  cap- 
tain comes  down,  and  we  all  go  quietly  to  supper. 

"  Next  comes  some   processes    unconnected  with  the  sails,  our  wings. 
These  will  explain,  after   Arctic  fashion,  the  terms  '  heave,'  and    '  warp,' 


ARCTIC   TOOLS. 


and  'track,'  and  'haul,'  for  we  are  now  beset  in  ice,  and  what  little  wind 
we  have,  is  dead  ahead.  A  couple  of  hands,  under  orders,  of  course, 
seize  an  iron  hook,  or  ice  anchor,  of  which  we  have  two  sizes,  one  of 
forty,  and  another  of  about  one  hundred  pounds;  with  this  they  jump 
from  the  bows  and  plant  it  in  the  ice  ahead,  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
crack  along  which  we  wish  to  force  our  way.  To  plant  an  ice  anchor,  a 
hole  is  cut  obliquely  to  the  surface  of  the  floe,  either  with  an  ice-chisel  or 
with  the  anchor  itself  used  pick-axe  fashion,  and  into  this  hole  the  larger 


446  MELVILLE  BAT. 

corner  of  the  anchor  is  hooked.  Once  fast,  you  slip  a  hawser  around  the 
smaller  end  and  secure  it  from  further  slip  by  a  '  mousing '  of  rope- 
yarn.  The  slack  of  the  hawser  is  passed  around  the  shaft  of  our  patent 
winch, — an  apparatus  of'  cogs  and  levers  standing  in  our  bow,  and 
everything  in  far  less  time  Jhan  it  takes  me  to  describe  it,  is  ready  for 
'heaving.' 

"  Then  comes  the  hard  work.  The  hawser  is  hauled  taut;  the  strain 
is  increased.  Everybody,  captain,  cook,  steward,  and  doctor,  is  taking  a 
s'pell  at  the  pump-handles,  or  overhauling  the  warping  gear;  for  dignity 
does  not  take  care  of  its  hands  in  the  middle  pack,  until  at  last  if  the 
floes  be  not  too  obdurate,  they  separate  by  the  wedge-like  action  of  our 
bows,  and  we  force  our  way  into  a  little  cleft  which  is  kept  open  on  either 
side  by  the  vessel's  beam.  But  the  quiescence,  the  equilibrium  of  the  ice 
which  allows  it  to  be  thus  severed  at  its  line  of  junction,  is  rare  enough. 
Oftentimes  we  heave  and  haul  and  sweat,  and  after  parting  a  ten  inch 
hawser,  go  to  bed  wet,  and  tired  and  discontented,  with  nothing  but  ex- 
perience to  pay  for  our  toil.  This  is  'warping.'  " 

For  twenty-one  days  they  wei'e  in  this  narrow  strait  between  two 
continents  of  ice,  part  of  the  time  immovable  in  relation  to  the  pack,  and 
part  of  the  time  edging  their  way  along,  a  yard  an  hour,  by  means  of 
their  "eternal  warping."  It  was  now  August,  and  the  season  fit  for 
search  was  passing  away;  the  prospect  of  success  was  rapidly  vanishing, 
and  the  ice-locked  mariners  were  becoming  nearly  desperate;  when  a 
fortunate  combination  of  winds,  currents,  and  temperature  released  them, 
and  they  were  able  once  more  to  continue  their  course. 

But  it  was  no  quiet  lake  into  which  they  made  their  escape  from  their 
icy  besetment.  Melville  Bay  presented  itself  to  them  in  all  its  terrors 
From  the  dark  headlands  looming  up  in  the  distance,  a  solid  shore  of  ice 
projected  itself  for  miles  into  the  bay.  Along  this  solid  ice  the  great 
drift  moves,  impelled  by  the  varying  winds  and  currents,  sometimes  close 
to  its  edge,  sometimes  at  such  a  distance  as  to  leave  a  passable  channel  of 
open  water.  Down  this  channel  the  great  icebergs  came  sweeping  along; 
and  more  than  once  during  their  first  night  in  the  bay,  all  hands  were 
called  on  deck  to  warp  the  vessels  out  of  their  course.  Through  the 


AN  ARCTIC  GARDEN. 


447 


channel,  between  the  advancing  floes  and  solid  ice,  the  vessels  made 
their  laborious  way,  sometimes  by  towing,  sometimes  by  their  sails;  but 
holding  always  upon  their  northwestward  course.  This  transit  across 
Melville  Bay,  a  distance  of  not  more  than  three  hundred  miles,  consumed 
five  entire  weeks  of  a  voyage  whose  success  depends  upon  days,  and 
even  hours.  A  small  steamer  would  have  towed  them  across  in  a  counle 
of  days. 


ARCTIC  PLANT.   (ACTUAL  SIZE.) 


As  they  skirted  these  icy  shores,  they  not  infrequently  found  oppor- 
tunities to  leave  the  vessels,  and  sometimes  came  upon  spots  amid  snow 
and  ice  where  the  reflected  rays  of  the  sun  formed  a  delicious  little  Al- 
pine garden,  green  with  mosses  and  carices,  and  surrounded  with  shrubs 


448  A  NARROW  ESCAPE. 

and  trees — what  passed  for  shrubs  and  trees,  in  the  meagerness  of  Arctic 
vegetation;  plants  like  those  dwarf  specimens  produced  by  Chinese  art. 
There  was  the  wild  blueberry  in  full  flower  and  fruitage,  yet  so  small 
that  it  might  have  been  inclosed  in  a  wine  glass;  wild  honeysuckles,  an 
entire  plant  of  which  might  have  been  worn  in  one's  button-hole;  wil- 
lows like  a  leaf  of  clover;  trees,  not  one  of  which  reached  to  the  level 
of  a  man's  knees,  while  the  majority,  clinging  along  the  ground,  scarcely 
rose  to  the  height  of  the  shoes  of  the  navigators  who  towered  above 
them  like  the  giants  of  Brobdignag  among  the  vegetation  of  Lilliput. 
The  processes  of  nature,  hampered  or  rather  modified  by  the  Arctic 
temperature,  produce  results  quaintly  differing  from  those  to  which  we, 
reared  in  the  climate  of  4O°-5o°,  are  daily  witnesses.  Kane  had  oppor- 
tunity to  measure  the  depth  of  the  accumulating  mosses  of  many  years. 
In  many  places  he  found  it  five  or  more  feet  in  height,  and  counted  sixty- 
eight  different  layers  indicating  the  fertilizing  accumulations  of  as  many 
years. 

The  auks  had  built  their  nests  upon  the  rocks  overhanging  the  min- 
iature hot-beds,  and  the  apparently  easy  ascent  invited  adventure. 

"  Urged  by  a  wish  to  study  the  habits  of  these  little  Arctic  emigrants 
at  their  homesteads,  I  foolishly  clambered  up  to  one  of  their  most  populous 
colonies,  without  thinking  of  my  descent.  The  angle  of  deposit  was 
already  very  great,  not  much  less  than  50°,  and  as  I  moved  on,  with  a 
walking-pole  substituted  for  my  gun,  I  was  not  surprised  to  find  the  frag- 
ments receding  under  my  feet,  and  rolling  with  a  resounding  crash,  to 
the  plain  below.  Stopping,  however,  to  regain  my  breath,  I  found  that 
everything,  beneath,  around,  above  me,  was  in  motion.  The  entire  sur- 
face seemed  to  be  sliding  down.  Ridiculous  as  it  may  seem  to  dwell 
upon  a  matter  apparently  so  trivial,  my  position  became  one  of  danger. 
The  accelerated  velocity  of  the  masses  caused  them  to  leap  off  in  deflected 
lines.  Several  uncomfortable  fragments  had  already  passed  by  me, 
some  even  over  my  head,  and  my  walking-pole  was  jerked  from  my 
hands  and  buried  in  the  ruins.  Thus  helpless,  I  commenced  my  own 
half-involuntary  descent,  expecting  momentarily  to  follow  my  pole,  when 
my  eye  caught  a  projecting  outcrop  of  feldspar,  against  which  the  strong 


OFF   TO  LANCASTER. 


449 


current  split  into  two  minor  streams.     This,   with   some   hard  jumps,   I 
succeeded  in  reaching." 

By  the  middle  of  August  it  became  evident  that  the  expedition 
would  be  able  to  pass  the  ice,  and  would  winter  in  the  almost  unknown 
regions  of  the  Northwest.  Their  spirits  rose  when  the  ice-pack  was 
cleared,  and  instead  of  threading  the  winding  channels  among  the  ice, 
they  bade  good-bye  to  the  bay  of  the  "famous  Mr.  William  Baffin,"  and 
with  full  sails  headed  toward  Lancaster  Sound. 


THE  ARCTIC  OWL. 


29 


CHAPTER   L. 

A    COMPARISON MEET    WITH    ENGLISH    SQUADRON SEARCH    IN    CON- 
CERT  GRAVES    DISCOVERED VARYING    CONCLUSIONS END    OF 

SUMMER TOGETHER    ONCE    MORE UNPLEASANT    INFORMATION 

— AN    UNPRECEDENTED    DRIFT. 

Probably  most  of  those  who  read  this  book  have  been  reared  in  the 
zone  of  the  oak,  the  maple,  and  waving  fields  of  grain;  or  some,  perhaps, 
have  passed  their  lives  in  a  still  more  genial  region,  where  the  orange 
nourishes  and  the  sun  invites  to  a  life  of  indolence,  and  sensuous  enjoy- 
ment of  Nature's  lavish  gifts.  Such  will  find  it  hard  to  realize  the  con- 
dition and  sensations  of  those  who,  like  themselves,  accustomed  to  the 
variety  of  temperate  regions,  have  been  transported  suddenly  to  the  land 
where  continuous  night  or  prolonged  day  is  the  rule. 

The  reader  has  been  accustomed  to  night  and  day ;  he  has  felt  the 
soothing  influence  of  the  twilight  merging  gradually  into  darkness, 
whose  more  somber  hues  invite  repose  and  sleep;  and  he  is  used  to  the 
speedy  return  of  day  whose  stimulating  sunlight  urges  once  more  to 
activity.  But  in  the  long  watches  of  Arctic  life  there  comes  no  such 
pleasing  variety.  For  six  months  the  benighted  Esquimaux  or  the 
chance  adventurer  mourns  the  absence  of  the  light-giving  orb;  life-giving 
as  well  as  light-giving,  for  in  his  absence  health  fails  and  the  spirit  sinks 
in  depression  and  melancholy.  On  the  other  hand,  joyous  as  is  his 
appearance,  when  once  he  establishes  his  course  above  the  horizon,  his 
constant  presence  stimulates  to  unnatural  and  excessive  activity.  The 
hours  of  rest  are  broken.  Meal-times  tread  upon  each  other's  heels,  and 
only  the  most  rigid  self-government  can  prevent  a  disastrous  subversion 
of  the  accustomed  order  of  everyday  eveuts.  Such  are  some  of  the 
necessary  obstacles  in  the  way  of  those  who  would  unravel  the  mysteries 
of  Arctic  life. 

450 


MEET    WITH  ENGLISH  SQUADRON.  451 

We  left  our  little  squadron  speeding  their  way  as  best  they  could  to 
Lancaster  Sound.  At  three  hours  after  midnight  on  the  morning  of  the 
2  tst,  they  overhauled  the  Felix,  the  foremost  of  the  vessels  of  the 
British  search  expedition,  under  command  of  the  brave  old  veteran  Sir 
John  Ross.  "You  and  I  ai'e  ahead  of  them  all  !"  shouted  the  hale  old 
Englishman  in  tones  that  rose  above  the  noise  of  the  winds  and  the 
ships'  rigging.  He  had  been  cast  away  in  this  same  country  seventeen 
years  before;  had  spent  life  and  fortune  in  service  of  his  countrv;  and 
here  he  was  again  in  a  frail  bark  searching  for  the  grave,  perhaps,  of  a 
lost  comrade.  The  next  day,  while  checked  by  the  barrier  of  ice  shut- 
ting up  the  passage  to  Port  Leopold,  they  were  overtaken  by  the  gallant 
little  Prince  Albert,  Lady  Franklin's  own  ship,  fitted  out  to  prosecute  the 
search  for  her  missing  lord.  Kane  says  of  this  interview : 

"  This  was  a  very  pleasant  meeting.  Capt.  Forsyth,  wha  commanded 
the  Prince  Albert,  and  Mr.  Snow,  who  acted  as  a  sort  of  adjutant  under 
him,  were  very  agreeable  gentlemen.  They  spent  some  hours  with  us 
which  Mr.  Snow  has  remembered  kindly  in  his  journal  which  he  has 
published  since  his  return  to  England.  Their  little  vessel  was  much  less 
perfectly  fitted  than  ours  to  encounter  the  perils  of  the  ice;  but  in  one 
respect  at  least,  their  expedition  resembled  our  own.  They  had  to  rough 
it.  To  use  a  Western  phrase,  they  had  no  fancy  fixings — nothing  but 
what  a  hasty  outfit  and  a  limited  purse  could  supply."  The  journal  re- 
ferred to  above  reveals  what  Kane's  modest  narrative  would  never  have 
disclosed — with  what  gallantry  the  American  squadron  led  the  way 
through  the  ice;  and  especially  the  bravery  of  Kane  himself,  whose  bril- 
liant ventures  gained  for  him  among  the  British  the  appellation  of  the 
"  mad  Yankee." 

On  the  2yth  the  varying  chances  of  the  search  in  the  contracted 
waters  had  brought  together  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  near  Beechey 
Head,  five  vessels  belonging  to  three  separate  searching  expeditions; 
Ross',  Capt.  Penny's,  and  their  own.  The  greatest  good  feeling  and  dis- 
interestedness prevailed  among  all.  The  whole-souled  Capt.  Penny  had 
soon  prepared  a  plan  of  action  for  the  three  parties.  Some  traces  as  it 
was  supposed,  of  the  missing  mariners,  load  been  discovered  on  Beechey 


452 


THRILLING  NEWS. 


Island.  Penny's  plan  was  to  assign  different  parts  of  the  island  to 
different  parties;  he  himself  would  take  the  western  search ;  Ross  should 
run  over  to  Prince  Regent's  Sound,  and  the  American  Expedition  was  to 
pass  through  the  first  openings  in  the  ice  by  Wellington  Channel  to  the 
north  and  east.  These  projects  were  just  receiving  preliminary  dis- 
cussion when  a  messenger  was  reported  hastening  over  the  ice. 

"  The    news   he    brought    was    thrilling.     'Graves,    Captain  Penny! 
Graves!     Franklin's  winter  quarters!'     We  were  instantly   in  motion. 


ON    BEECH  EY   ISLAND. 


Capt.  De  Haven,  Capt.  Penny,  Commander  Phillies,  and  myself,  with  a 
party  from  the  Rescue,  hurried  on  over  the  rugged  slope  that  extends 
from  Beechey  to  the  shore,  and  scrambling  over  the  ice,  came  after  a 
weary  walk  to  the  crest  ot  the  isthmus.  Here  amid  the  sterile  uniformity 
of  snow  and  slate,  were  the  headboards  of  three  graves,  made  after  the 
old  orthodox  fashion  of  gravestones  at  home.  The  mounds  which 
adjoined  them  were  arranged  with  some  pretensions  to  symmetry,  coped 
and  defended  with  limestone  slabs.  They  occupied  a  line  facing  toward 


RELICS.  453 

Cape  Riley,  which  was  distinctly  visible  across  a  little  cove  at  the  dis- 
tance of  some  four  hundred  yards.  Upon  these  stones  were  inscriptions 
which  conveyed  important  information ;  the  first,  cut  with  a  chisel,  ran 

thus: 

'  Sacred 

to  the 
memory 

of 

N.    Braine    R.    M. 
H.  M.  S.  Erebus, 
Died   April  3d,  1846, 

aged  32  years. 
Choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve. 

Joshua,  chap.  24 — 15."' 

The  other  two  epitaphs  were  very  similar  to  the  one  just  transcribed. 
The  words  of  one — "Departed  this  life  on  board  the  Terror,"  proved 
that,  in  the  spring  of  1846,  at  least,  Franklin's  ship  had  not  been 
wrecked.  The  evidences  were  plentiful  that  the  expedition  had  passed 
a  safe  and  comfortable  winter.  There  was  the  anvil  block  and  the  traces 
of  the  armorer's  forge  and  carpenter's  shop;  the  trough  which  had  served 
for  washing  a  rude  garment  fashioned  by  a  sailor's  hand  from  a  blanket; 
a  key;  fragments  of  paper;  the  gloves  of  on  officer  washed  and  laid 
out  to  dry  under  two  stones  to  prevent  them  from  blowing  away.  There 
was  a  little  garden-plot,  with  its  transplanted  mosses  and  anemones. 
There  were  the  three  graves  already  described,  the  headstones  in- 
scribed with  scriptural  text.  Yet  not  a  trace  existed  of  any  memoran- 
dum or  mark  to  throw  the  least  ray  of  light  upon  the  condition  or  designs 
of  the  party.  A  melancholy  interest  attached  to  these  relics,  from  the 
fact  that  they  were  the  latest  mementoes  of  the  lost  navigators ;  and 
every  day  was  deepening  the  apprehension  that  they  were  the  last  tid- 
ings which  would  be  had  of  them  until  the  grave  gave  up  its  dead. 
Strangest  of  all  was  that  Franklin,  the  practical,  experienced  navigator, 
grown  gray  in  the  perils  of  Arctic  sailing,  should  have  left  no  record  of 
his  achievements  in  the  past  months,  nor  of  his  needs  or  plans  for  the 
future. 


454  END   OF  SUMMER. 

Kane,  ever  sanguine,  and  full  of  conjectures,  did  not  see  evidences  of 
sorrow  or  extremity  in  the  traces  discovered,  nor  in  the  fact  that  no  rec- 
ord was  left,  and  thought  it  probable  that  the  party  had  left  their  quar- 
ters with  the  intention  of  returning.  "A  garden,"  says  he,  "implies  a 
purpose  either  to  remain  or  return;  he  who  makes  it  is  looking  to  the  fu- 
ture." He  thought  that  the  party,  tempted  by  an  opening  in  Wellington 
Channel,  had  sailed  away  with  the  promptness  that  had  always  charac- 
terized the  brave  old  commander,  and  were  possibly  exploring  the  open 
sea  beyond,  if  living;  or  if  not,  that  their  remains  would  be  found  among 
the  ice  fields  of  the  frozen  north.  And  he  accounted  for  the  absence  of 
a  record,  in  the  haste  with  which  such  a  departure  might  naturally  be 
made.  These  conclusions  seemed  very  reasonable.  That  they  were 
wrong  everybody  knows,  but  the  course  of  reasoning  by  which  they 
were  arrived  at,  shows  both  the  hopefulness  and  ready  logic  of  their 
author. 

With  the  close  of  August  the  brief  Arctic  summer  began  to  come  to 
an  end.  The  sun  traveled  far  to  the  south,  and  the  northern  midnight 
began  to  assume  the  somber  hues  of  twilight.  The  ice  was  growing 
thicker  and  closer  around  the  vessels,  which  vainly  attempted  to  urge 
their  way  to  the  western  shores  of  Wellington  Channel.  The  thickness 
of  the  tables  of  ice  sometimes  reached  fourteen  feet,  and  huge  hum- 
mocks were  heaped  up  by  the  force  of  their  impact  to  a  height  of  forty 
feet  or  more,  overtopping  the  decks,  and  threatening  to  topple  down  up- 
on them.  The  great  masses  drifted  past  the  vessels,  usually  just  missing 
contact  with  them.  On  one  occasion,  however,  the  Rescue  was  caught 
bodily  up  by  a  drifting  floe  until  the  mooring  cables  parted,  when  she  shot 
ahead  into  an  open  patch  of  water.  The  Advance  escaped  the  impact 
by  hugging  close  to  the  solid  ice.  The  British  vessels  were  less  fortu- 
nate, being  swept  on  by  the  resistless  force  of  the  moving  mass. 

During  the  early  September  days  the  cold  began  rapidly  to  increase. 
The  thermometer  fell  by  night  to  21°,  and  rarely  in  the  daytime  rose 
above  the  freezing  point.  No  fires  had  been  lighted  below.  The  historian 
of  the  expedition  retiring  to  his  narrow  berth  and  drawing  close  the 
India-rubber  curtains,  lighted  his  lamp  and  wrote  his  journal  in  a  freezing 


UNWELCOME   TIDINGS.  455 

temperature.  "This  is  not  very  cold,"  he  says,  under  date  of  September 
8,  "no  doubt  to  your  45°  minus  men  of  Arctic  winters;  but  to  us  from 
the  zone  of  liriodendrons  and  peaches  it  is  rather  cold  for  the  September 
month  of  watermelons."  On  this  same  8th  of  September  the  Ameri- 
can expedition  had  the  mortification  of  seeing  the  English  vessels  in  tow 
of  their  steamers  shooting  ahead  of  them  right  in  the  teeth  of  the  wind. 
They  felt  that  they  were  now  the  hindmost  of  all  the  searchers.  "All 
have  the  lead  of  us,"  is  the  desponding  entry  in  Dr.  Kane's  journal. 
Two  days  later,  however,  the  two  American  and  all  the  English  vessels 
found  themselves  together  once  more,  anchored  fast  to  the  solid  ice,  with 
the  way  to  the  westward  impassably  blocked  up  before  them. 

Now  began  the  real  and  earnest  perils  of  the  expedition.  On  the 
1 2th  a  storm  arose,  which  swept  the  Rescue  from  her  moorings,  and 
drove  her  out  of  sight  of  her  consort.  It  soon  became  evident  that  the 
great  mass  of  ice  to  which  they  were  moored,  was  slowly  drifting, 
whither  they  knew  not.  The  cold  increased.  The  thermometers  sank 
to  14°,  then  to  8°,  then  to  5°,  yet  no  fires  were  lighted  in  the  cabins  of 
the  Americans,  though  those  in  the  British  vessels  were  under  full  blast. 

The  next  day  the  Advance  fell  in  with  her  lost  consort,  partially  dis- 
abled. It  being  evident  that  all  further  progress  to  the  north  and  west 
was  impracticable,  the  commander  decided  to  turn  his  course  homeward. 
But  many  a  long  and  dreary  Arctic  night  was  destined  to  elapse  before 
the  vessels  escaped  from  Wellington  Channel. 

Toward  evening  on  the  I4th  of  September,  while  the  vessel  was 
rapidly  crunching  her  way  through  the  ice  that  was  forming  around,  the 
Doctor  had  retired  below,  hoping  to  restore  some  warmth  to  his  stiffened 
limbs.  It  was  a  somewhat  unpromising  task,  for  the  temperature  in  the 
cabin  was  close  upon  zero.  The  dull,  grinding  sound  of  the  vessel  labor- 
ing through  the  ice,  grew  jerking  and  irregular;  it  stopped,  began  again, 
grew  fainter  and  fainter;  at  last  all  was  still.  Down  to  the  cabin  went 
the  commander  with  the  words:  "Doctor,  the  ice  has  caught  us;  we  are 
frozen  up."  And  so  it  proved.  There  was  the  American  Searching 
Expedition  fast  embedded  in  the  ice  in  the  very  center  of  Wellington 
Channel.  Here  commenced  that  wonderful  drift,  which  lasted  more  than 


456  A    NIP. 

eight  months,  back  and  forth,  through  the  Arctic  seas,  wherever  the 
winds  and  currents  impelled  the  continent  of  ice.  No  vessel  was  ever 
beleaguered  so  before;  and  probably  no  other  one  that  had  ever  floated, 
would  have  escaped  from  such  a  beleaguerment.  Before  this  the  explor- 
ers had  been  so  thoroughly  busied  in  carrying  out  the  objects  of  their 
voyage,  that  they  had  bestowed  hardly  a  thought  upon  their  own  per- 
sonal comfort  or  safety.  With  the  thermometer  at  zero,  they  had  no 
means  of  producing  artificial  heat  in  the  cabin.  The  moisture  from  so 
many  breaths  had  condensed  till  the  beams  were  all  a-drip,  and  every- 
thing bore  the  aspect  of  having  been  exposed  to  a  drenching  mist.  The 
delay  occasioned  by  their  involuntary  detention  was  put  to  some  use,  by 
fitting  up  a  lard  lamp  in  the  cabin,  by  which  the  temperature  was  raised 
to  twelve  degrees  above  the  freezing,  or  44°  above  zero.  This  degree  of 
warmth  was  accounted  a  positive  luxury.  So,  in  uncertainty  and  gloom, 
they  drifted  to  and  fro,  sometimes  to  the  north,  and  sometimes  to  the 
south,  in  the  "  waste  of  waters." 

The  animal  life  with  which  the  region  had  heretofore  been  teeming, 
now  almost  wholly  disappeared,  and  to  this  fact  was  added  the  appar- 
ently precarious  condition  superinduced  by  the  bondage  of  ice.  Some 
of  the  smaller  and  more  hardy  animals  and  birds  still  remained,  but  these 
were  in  small  numbers,  while  the  most  of  the  seals,  the  polar  bear,  and 
all  that  gave  occasion  for  exercise,  and  afforded  nourishment  and  incident, 
had  vanished.  As  the  weather  became  more  severe,  the  danger  of  being 
"  nipped "  or  caught  between  two  masses  of  ice  and  perhaps  crushed, 
became  more  and  more  imminent.  Ten  days  after  they  were  frozen  in, 
occurred  the  first  of  the  fearful  nips  with  which  they  were  soon  to  be- 
come familiarized.  A  field  of  ice  fourteen  inches  thick,  overlaid  with  an 
additional  half  foot  of  snow,  is  driven,  with  a  slow  and  uniform  motion, 
directly  down  upon  the  helpless  vessel,  which  is  half  buried  beneath  the 
shattered  fragments.  The  force  behind  impels  the  broken  fragments  up- 
ward in  great  tables  rising  in  large  mounds  above  the  level  of  the  deck, 
and  threatening  to  topple  over  and  overwhelm  the  vessel.  Other  frag- 
ments take  a  downward  direction,  and  slide  below  the  brig,  which  is 
lifted  sheer  out  of  the  water,  and  rests  unevenly  upon  shattering  blocks 


IN    WINTER  QUARTERS.  457 

of  ice.  Amid  darkness  and  cold,  and  snow,  and  deadly  peril,  all  hands 
are  called  aloft  with  crows  and  picks,  to  "  fight  the  ice  "  that  rises  around. 
Well  was  it  that  the  ice  which  thus  drifted  down  upon  them  was  the 
new  ice  just  forming.  Had  it  been  the  solid  mass  of  later  winter,  no  fab- 
ric that  man  has  framed  of  wood  or  iron  could  have  withstood  it.  As  it 
was,  the  ice  which  was  now  their  assailant,  became  afterward  their  pro- 
tector, and  warded  off  the  collision  with  other  packs  against  which 
they  subsequently  drifted.  By  the  ist  of  October  the  icy  setting  around 
them  had  become  so  firm,  that  for  a  time  they  experienced  something 
like  repose. 

Deliberate  preparations  now  began  to  be  made  for  passing  the  winter 
in  the  ice.  Stoves  and  fuel  were  brought  up  from  the  hold,  and  with 
the  thermometer  at  20°  below  the  freezing  point,  the  work  of  manu- 
facturing a  stove  pipe  was  undertaken.  Embankments  of  snow  and  ice 
were  made  about  the  vessel,  in  which  was  deposited  coal  and  stores.  But 
alas,  for  the  stability  of  Arctic  weather!  Hardly  was  this  accomplished 
when  the  floe  began  breaking  up,  and  all  hands,  officers  and  men,  set  to 
work  to  replace  the  stores  upon  the  vessel.  So  insecure  was  still  the  po- 
sition of  both  vessels,  that  it  was  not  till  the  ipth  of  October  that  they 
were  able  to  set  up  stoves  in  the  cabin,  and  for  warmth  they  were  still 
forced  to  rely  upon  the  lard  lamp.  So  accustomed  had  they  become  to 
a  temperature  but  a  few  degrees  above  the  freezing  point,  that  they 
would  have  been  quite  content  had  it  not  been  for  the  perpetual  mois- 
ture dripping  from  the  roof  and  sides,  a  circumstance  full  of  clanger  to 
those  having  a  scorbutic  tendency.  This  was  at  last  mitigated  in  some 
degree  by  canvas  gutters,  by  which  several  cans  full  of  water  were 
daily  collected,  which  would  otherwise  have  fallen  upon  the  floor. 

The  experience  of  Kane  well  illustrates  the  power  of  the  human 
system  to  adapt  itself  to  varied  circumstances.  Only  a  few  months  be- 
fore he  was  in  the  warm  regions  of  the  Gulf,  luxuriating  in  its  tepid 
waters,  and  basking  in  its  sunshine.  Now  he  contentedly  watched  for 
hours  by  a  seal  hole  in  the  open  air,  with  the  thermometer  20°  degrees 
below  the  freezing  point,  and  if  successful  in  shooting  it,  ate  of  its  raw 
flesh  with  a  relish. 


458 


KILLING  A   SEAL. 


The  long  Arctic  night,  or  rather  succession  of  nights  and  days  (for, 
although  midnight  and  noon  were  scarcely  distinguishable,  they  still 
managed  to  separate  them  in  their  chronology),  was  varied  as  far  as 
possible  by  races,  games  and  seal  hunting,  although  the  seals  had  become 
scarce  and  more  than  usually  shy.  Kane  speaks,  in  his  characteristic 
manner,  of  killing  one  of  these  reticent  animals: 

"  To  shoot  seals  one  must  practice  the  Esquimaux  tactics,  of  much 
patience  and  complete  immobility.  It  is  no  fun,  I  assure  you,  after  full 
experience,  to  sit  motionless  and  noiseless  as  a  statue,  with  a  cold  iron 
musket  in  your  hands,  and  the  thermometer  10°  below  zero.  By  and 


SHOOTINCi   SEALS. 

by  I  was  rewarded  by  seeing  some  overgrown  Greenland  calves  come 
within  shot.  I  missed.  After  another  hour  of  cold  expectation  they 
came  again.  Very  strange  are  these  seals.  A  countenance  between  the 
dog  and  the  wild  African  ape,  an  expression  so  like  that  of  humanity, 
that  it  makes  gun-murderers  hesitate.  At  last,  at  long  shot,  I  hit  one. 
God  forgive  me! 

"  The  ball  did  not  kill  outright.  It  was  out  of  range,  struck  too  low, 
and  entered  the  lungs.  The  poor  beast  had  risen  breast-high  out  of 
water,  like  treading-water  swimmers  among  ourselves.  He  was  looking 
about  with  curious  and  expectant  eyes,  when  the  ball  entered  his  lungs. 


COURSE   OF   THE  SHIPS.  4r)9 

"  For  a  moment  he  oozed  a  little  bright  blood  from  his  mouth,  and 
looked  toward  me  with  a  startled  reproachfulness.  Then  he  dipped ;  an 
instant  after  he  came  up  still  nearer,  looked  again,  bled  again,  and  went 
down.  *  *  *  The  thing  was  drowning  in  the  element  of  his  sport- 
ive revels.  He  did  drown  finally,  and  sank;  and  so  I  lost  him. 

"Have  naturalists  ever  noticed  the  expression  of  this  animal's  phi/? 
Curiosity,  contentment,  pain,  reproach,  despair,  even  resignation,  I 
thought  I  saw  on  this  seal's  face." 

Thus  passed  the  month  of  October,  during  which  the  expedition  was 
drifting  about  near  the  outlet  of  Wellington  Bay,  in  a  general  southern 
direction,  although  a  south  wind  would  occasionally  force  them  back  to 
the  north.  But  it  soon  appeared  that  the  progress  in  this  direction  was 
impeded  by  more  compact  ice,  and  by  a  steady  current;  while  a  north 
wind  drove  steadily  before  it  the  thick  floe  in  which  they  were  embedded. 


- 

CHAPTER   LI. 

ARRANGEMENTS ICY      ANALOGIES DEPRESSING    INFLUENCES IN- 
GENIOUS   REMEDIES THE    HISTRIONIC    ART THREATENED    KY    A 

BERG THE      SUN      RE-APPEARS  THE      ICE-SAW THE      GRAND 

BREAK-UP  TOWARD        THE        GREENLAND       COAST  A       SHORT 

RESPITE. 

The  pth  of  November  found  the  arrangements  for  the  winter  com- 
plete. Over  the  entire  deck  of  the  Advance  was  thrown  a  housing  of 
thick  felt,  resting  on  an  improvised  ridge-pole  running  fore  and  aft. 
Under  the  main  hatch  was  the  cook's  galley,  with  its  pipe  running 
through  the  felt  roof  above.  Around  the  pipe  was  built  an  apparatus 
for  melting  ice,  to  supply  them  with  water.  The  bulk-heads  between 
the  forecastle  and  the  cabin  were  removed,  throwing  both  into  one 
apartment,  occupied  by  both  officers  and  men  in  common.  As  the  crews 
of  both  vessels  were  collected  in  the  Advance,  this  small  room  was  the 
home  of  thirty-one  persons.  Warmth  was  distributed  through  the 
cabin  by  three  stoves  besides  the  cooking  galley;  and  as  the  unbroken 
night  set  in,  four  argand  and  three  bear's  fat  lamps  supplied  the  place  of 
sunlight.  Need  enough  was  there  for  all  this  heating  apparatus,  for  be- 
fore the  winter  was  fairly  begun  the  temperature  was  40°  below  zero. 

Fancy  a  day  in  the  ice,  .as  spent  by  the  ice-fettered  explorers.  At 
half-past  six  by  the  chronometers,  the  crew  are  called;  the  officers  a  half 
an  hour  later.  Their  ablutions  must  be  performed  first,  to  wash  off  the 
soot  and  grim  accumulated  during  the  night.  This  is  accomplished  in 
half-frozen  snow  water.  Then  the  toilet  must  be  made.  Three  pairs  of 
socks,  several  undershirts  and  outer  robes  of  fur,  the  whole  complemented 
by  a  cap  and  hood  of  sealskin,  must  be  donned;  and  all  hands  take  a 
turn  on  deck,  to  get  up  an  appetite  for  breakfast.  This  is  found  neces- 
sary, for  the  nameless  stenches  connected  with  the  sleeping  room,  kitchen 

460 


DEPRESSING    INFLUENCES.  461 

and  larder  combined,  suffice  to  completely  nauseate  the  "  stoutest  stomach 
of  them  all." 

Nothing  better  showed  the  extremity  of  the  weather  than  the  con- 
dition and  appearance  of  the  various  articles  of  provisions.  Everything 
was  transformed  into  some  grotesque  analogy  of  itself.  All  vegetables 
were  pebbles  of  assorted  varieties.  Frozen  meat  was  hard  as  buildin<>- 
stone.  The  fat  of  the  bear  and  the  seal — liquid  at  respectably  low  tem- 
perature, were  like  marble;  a  pleasing  assemblage  of  figures  moulded 
and  carved  from  nature  by  nature. 

The  extreme  temperature  and  the  absence  of  the  sun  began  to  tell 
upon  the  health  and  spirits  of  the  men.  In  more  temperate  regions  we 
learn  to  recognize  the  tendency  to  rheumatic  diseases  and  depression  of 
spirits  occasioned  by  even  a  few  days  of  cloudy  weather.  This  condi- 
tion was  fulfilled  to  perfection  in  the  case  of  our  explorers.  All  faces 
began  to  assume  a  livid  paleness,  like  plants  growing  in  darkness.  The 
men  grew  moody  and  dreamy.  They  heard  strange  sounds  in  the  night, 
and  had  wonderful  visions  in  their  sleep.  One  dreamed  of  wandering 
off  among  the  ice  and  returning  laden  with  watermelons;  another  had 
found  .Sir  John  Franklin  in  a  beautiful  cove  lined  with  orange  trees; 
and  a  third,  in  the  half-delirium  of  his  mental  wanderings,  had  heard  his 
wife  and  children  crying  for  help.  All  were  particularly  sensitive 
to  supposed  slights  or  effrontery  on  the  part  of  the  rest.  This  led  to  un- 
pleasant feelings  and  painful  scenes.  The  officers  alone,  by  strict  guard 
upon  their  tongues,  managed  to  keep  up  a  show  of  good  feeling.  Sick- 
ness appeared  in  new  and  peculiar  forms,  and  the  genius  of  our  physician 
and  author  was  taxed  to  the  utmost  to  provide  for  the  sanitary  necessities 
of  the  party.  As  is  usually  the  case,  the  scurfy-afflicted  adhered  to  the 
fatal  diet  of  salt  meat,  and  cunning  had  to  be  resorted  to,  in  order  to 
save  them  from  themselves.  As  they  would  not  eat  the  anti-scorbutic 
food  provided,  the  doctor  prepared  a  sort  of  beer  from  his  little  store  of 
vegetables.  Olive-oil  and  lime-juice,  raw  potatoes,  saur-kraut  and 
vinegar  combined,  made  a  delectable  compound  which  the  men  drank 
greedily.  So  successful  was  this  treatment  that,  as  we  shall  see,  not  one 
of  the  crew  was  lost. 


462  THE   HISTRIONIC    ART. 

Christmas  Day  was  spent  with  as  much  merry-making  as  could  be 
contrived  in  the  almost  total  absence  of  resources.  Some  bottles  of 
champagne  remained,  and  the  French  cook  prepared  an  elaborate  dinner. 
Mr.  Bruce,  one  of  the  crew,  and  possessed  of  divers  qualifications,  had 
contrived  a  play,  and  the  crew  had  undertaken  to  produce  it  upon  an 
extemporized  stage.  "  Never,"  says  Kane,  "had  I  enjoyed  the  tawdry 
quackery  of  the  stage  half  so  much.  The  theater  has  always  been  to  me 
a  wretched  simulation  of  realities;  and  I  have  too  little  sympathy  with  the 
unreal  to  find  pleasure  in  it  long.  Not  so  our  Arctic  theater.  It  was  one 
continual  frolic  from  beginning  to  end. 

';  The  'Blue  Devils' :  God  bless  us!  but  it  was  very,  very  funny.  None 
knew  their  parts,  and  the  prompter  could  not  read  glibly  enough  to  do 
his  office.  Everything,  whether  jocose  or  indignant,  or  common-place, 
or  pathetic,  was  delivered  in  a  high  tragedy  monotone  of  despair;  five 
words  at  a  time,  or  more  or  less,  according  to  the  facilities  of  the 
prompter.  Megrim,  with  a  pair  of  sealskin  boots,  bestowed  his  gold 
upon  gentle  Annette,  and  Annette,  nearly  six  feet  high,  received  it  with- 
mastodonic  grace.  Annette  was  an  Irishman  named  Daly;  and  I  might 
defy  human  being  to  hear  her,  while  balanced  on  the  heel  of  her  boot, 
exclaim  in  rich  masculine  brogue,  'Och,  feather!'  without  roaring." 

Other  amusements  followed  in  like  style,  but  the  desolateness  of  their 
condition,  their  separation  from  home  and  friends,  and  the  absence  of  the 
means  and  opportunity  for  obtaining  help  and  sympathy,  nearly  stifled 
all  attempts  at  merriment.  New  Year's  Day  was  passed  in  much  the 
same  way,  varied  by  a  race  for  a  purse  of  three  flannel  shirts.  This 
effort  exhausted  most  of  the  men,  showing  the  debilitated  condition  into 
which  they  had  fallen.  In  the  meantime  Lieut.  DeHaven  had  grown 
almost  helplessly  sick,  and  being  confined  to  his  bed,  Commander  Griffin 
became  the  executive  officer  of  the  combined  crews. 

From  the  8th  of  December  to  the  nth  of  January,  the  floe  in  which 
they  were  fastened  had  steadily  increased  in  solidity  till  it  seemed  scarcely 
less  firm  than  the  granite  ranges  which  girdle  a  continent;  and  firmly 
embedded  in  it  the  vessels  enjoyed  a  season  of  comparative  respite  from 
danger.  The  Advance  all  this  time  lay  with  her  bows  sunk  in  the  snow 


APPROACH   OF  DAT.  468 

and  ice,  and  her  stern  elevated  some  five  or  six  feet;  she  also  canted  over 
to  starboard,  so  that  walking  her  deck  was  up-hill  work.  During  this 
time  her  bare  sides  had  been  "banked  up"  with  snow  as  New  England 
and  other  farmers  bank  up  their  houses  at  the  approach  of  winter.  On 
the  1 2th  of  January  a  sudden  shock  brought  all  hands  upon  deck.  A 
fissure  appeared  in  the  ice-plain  which  soon  widened  into  a  broad  passage, 
through  which  the  large  fragments  bore  right  down  upon  the  vessel. 
At  one  hour  past  midnight  the  crew  stood  on  deck  strapped  and  harness 
ready,  to  take  to  the  ice.  Right  down  upon  them  bore  the  large  hum- 
mock upon  the  vessel's  stern, — a  mass  solid  as  marble,  thirty  feet  square 
at  the  base  and  rising  twelve  feet  out  of  water;  it  stops,  then  advances; 
it  approaches  so  near  the  vessel  that  hardly  enough  room  is  left  to  admit 
of  a  man's  walking  between.  That  narrow  '  channel  crossed,  and  no 
human  art  could  construct  a  fabric  which  would  resist  the  ice-hill's  ter- 
rible might.  That  passage  was  never  crossed.  The  huge  mass  stopped; 
clung  to  the  stern;  became  impacted  there;  and  for  months  remained  in 
the  same  place  as  a  ghostly  memento  of  the  narrowly-escaped  destruction. 
Even  while  they  had  prepared  to  leave  the  ship,  the  question  arose, 
Whither  should  they  go  ?  The  Rescue,  their  disabled  consort,  was  scarcely 
an  eligible  place  of  safety,  and  they  had  drifted  far,  far,  from  the  coast. 
Indeed,  they  had  already  drifted  well  toward  Baffin's  Bay.  What 
would  be  the  consequence  when  the  two  great  oceans  of  ice  should 
meet? 

The  approach  of  Arctic  day  was  hailed  with  great  joy  and'  anxiety, 
and  both  officers  and  crew  prepared  to  make  suitable  demonstrations  for 
the  appearance  of  the  god  of  day.  Day  by  day,  the  rosy  tints  shot  up 
further,  and  seemed  to  the  waiting  adventurers  to  bode  an  end  to  all 
their  trials.  The  day  when  the  sun  could  be  seen  for  the  first  time  was 
reckoned  to  be  January  2gth — after  an  absence  of  eighty-six  days.  The 
crew  were  out  ready  to  give  three  cheers  to  the  great  planet  as  it  marked 
in  a  short  period  the  conjunction  of  sunrise,  noon,  and  sunset.  Dr.  Kane 
had  separated  from  the  rest,  and  witnessed  the  scene  by  himself.  Never  did 
the  radiant  orb  receive  more  hearty  welcome  from  devout  Parsee,  than 
was  given  him  on  this  day,  "I  looked  at  him,"  says  Kane,  "thankfully, 


464  THE  ICE-SAW. 

with  a  great  globus  in  my  throat.  Then  came  the  shout  from  the  ship 
— three  shouts — cheering  the  sun." 

We  must  pass  over  the  following  days  during  which,  although  the 
sun  was  constantly  rising  higher,  the  temperature  was  still  insupportably 
low.  It  was.  not  till  near  the  close  of  March  that  the  broad  ice-pack  be- 
gan fairly  to  open,  and  a  broad  reach  of  water  spread  before  the  eyes  of 
the  voyagers,  weary  of  the  perpetual  gaze  upon  ice,  stretching  beyond 
the  reach  of  vision.  From  this  time  the  process  of  their  liberation  went 
slowly  but  surely  on.  The  prevailing  northerly  winds  drifted  the  floe 
toward  more  genial  latitudes.  Frost-smoke  began  to  arise  from  the  ice. 
A  slight  moisture  became  perceptible;  the  paths  along  the  vessel's  side 
became  soft  and  pulpy.  The  men,  long  accustomed  to  an  Arctic  tem- 
perature, complain  that  "it  is  too  warm  to  skate,  though  the  thermom- 
eter indicates  a  temperature  of  10°  below  freezing.  At  last,  on  the 
loth  of  April  that  unerring  monitor  rose  to  32°  at  noon-day.  Up  to 
freezing  again!  Very  soon  the  cabin-lamps  were  put  out.  The  crews 
cut  the  ice  from  about  the  Rescue,  and  she  was  once  more  manned  in 
readiness  for  release.  The  felt  covering  was  taken  from  the  deck  of 
the  Advance,  and  daylight  prevailed  throughout  the  Arctic  regions. 

Early  in  May  the  ice-saw  was  put  in  operation  as  a  preliminary  at- 
tempt at  freeing  the  vessel.  Parallel  tracks  were  cut  of  convenient 
width,  and  the  ice  sawed  away  in  blocks,  and  hauled  to  the  edge  of  the 
floe.  Thus  the  open  lead  was  daily  brought  nearer.  In  a  short  time 
the  Advance  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  these  floating  barricades. 
Shortly,  too,  the  ship  showed  signs  of  changing  her  position,  grating  a 
little  on  the  moving  ice,  and  seeming  to  advance  a  few  inches  upon  the 
remainder  of  the  floe.  Desperate  endeavors  were  made  to  wrench  the 
vessels  clear  from  their  icy  moorings  by  means  of  strong  tackle  and  de- 
termined pulls,  but  in  vain;  they  would  not  float  level  upon  the  water 
till  the  grand  break-up  occurred.  Meantime  the  summer  was  hastening 
on.  Evidences  of  coming  final  disruption  were  multiplying  about  them. 
Animal  life  increased,  birds  were  flying  in  every  direction,  and  seals  and 
whales  were  playing  on  every  hand.  The  floe  on  which  the  ships  were 
cast  had  become  reduced  to  a  small  patch. 


THE    GRAND     BREAK-UP.  4^5 

On  the  29th  of  May  land  was  seen — one  of  the  capes  of  Greenland, 
for  they  had  been  drifting  down  Baffin's  Bay  with  the  wind  and  current 
for  several  months.  How  suddenly  and  completely  they  had  been  cut  off, 
not  only  from  the  means  of  search  for  Sir  John  Franklin,  but  also  from 
the  place  where  it  was  now  evident  that  search  should  be  made! 

The  5th  of  June  witnessed  the  grand  break-up.  Commander  Griffin, 
the  commanding  officer  of  the  Rescue,  had  walked  across  the  ice  for  a 
call  on  his  friends  in  the  Advance.  He  had  just  started  for  home  when 
a  cry  arose  that  there  was  a  crack  in  the  floe.  Sure  enough,  there  ap- 
peared a  crevice  in  the  ice  between  the  two  ships,  and  water  flowing 
between  the  ice-sheets.  Reaching  the  crack  hurriedly,  he  had  just  time 
to  spring  across  its  widening  surface,  and  escape  to  his  ship.  In  ten 
minutes  more  there  was  water  all  around  the  Rescue,  and  in  half  an 
hour  both  vessels  floated  in  their  element.  A  large  piece  of  ice,  how- 
ever, clung  to  the  stern  of  the  Advance,  and  by  its  great  buoyancy  held 
her  posterior  up  almost  out  of  water,  while  her  bows  suffered  a  corres- 
ponding depression.  Finally,  about  noon  on  the  8th  of  June,  one  of  the 
officers  was  in  the  act  of  clambering  down  on  this  attached  mass.  Hardly 
had  his  foot  touched  it  when  it  parted  from  the  vessel.  He  scrambled 
hurriedly  up  the  side,  tearing  his  nails  and  clothing  in  his  haste,  just  in 
time  to  escape  the  huge  block  as  it  surged  up  to  the  surface.  The  Ad- 
vance was  free  at  last,  and  floated  level  with  open  water  all  about  her. 

Although  now  clear  from  any  direct  attachment  of  ice,  the  remain- 
ing portion  of  the  journey  to  the  coast  of  Greenland  was  a  somewhat 
uncomfortable  task.  It  was  too  warm  to  have  fires  in  the  cabin,  and  yet 
the  growing  dampness  of  the  warmer  climate,  increased  by  the  pressure 
of  icebergs,  made  fires  extremely  desirable.  In  spite  of  the  seal  meat, 
of  which  they  now  had  some  reinforcement,  the  scurvy,  deep-seated  and 
persevering,  broke  out  again ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  tedious  pro- 
cess of  regaining  lost  health  must  be  gone  through  with  before  any  new 
adventures  could  be  attempted.  Many  of  the  sailors  were  ill  from  shore 
excesses  when  the  vessel  left  New  York,  and  the  circumstances  of  the 
winter  were  such  as  had  been  most  favorable  to  the  reopening  of  old 

wounds,  and   the  revivification  of  slumbering   virus.     Icebergs,  in   great 
30 


466  ON   LAND. 

numbers,  worn  and  carved  by  the  water's  action  into  many  grotesque 
shapes,  crowded  around  them,  and  impeded  their  progress;  and  insig- 
nificant as  the  remaining  distance  was,  it  caused  a  painful  effort,  in  the 
exhausted  and  debilitated  condition  of  the  party. 

Lieut.  DeHaven,  who  had  now  recovered  sufficiently  to  take  charge 
of  the  expedition  once  more,  had  decided  to  recuperate  at  Whalefish 
Islands,  off  the  coast  of  Greenland,  for  a  few  days,  and  hasten  back  to 
Melville  Bay,  Barrow's  Strait  and  Lancaster  Sound,  and  renew  the 
search  which  their  untimely  besetment  had  curtailed.  Every  man  con- 
curred heartily  in  the  plan.  It  is  true,  they  were  worn  and  weary ;  but 
they  had  had  the  seasoning  which  a  winter  in  the  ice  alone  can  give, 
and  considered  themselves  as  veterans,  well  fitted  by  experience  for  con- 
tinued service.  As  they  drew  near  the  coast  the  same  appearance  pre- 
sented itself  which  they  had  witnessed  a  year  ago;  only  they  themselves 
had  lost  the  freshness  and  buoyancy  with  which  they  had  approached 
the  same  coast  in  the  preceding  summer.  The  destined  port  was  reached 
on  the  i6th  of  June.  Dr.  Kane,  with  five  others,  was  dispatched  to  the 
shore.  Esquimaux  crowded  the  bank,  dogs  barked,  and  children  yelled. 
So,  after  a  short  pull,  ended  that  marvelous  nine  months  of  besetment, 
drift,  toil  and  disease. 


CHAPTER    LII. 

A    PLEASANT    PARTY CULTIVATED    TASTES DANGEROUS    FEATS 

THE    NATIONAL    DAY BOUND    FOR    THE    NORTH    AGAIN— ESCAPE 

FROM     MELVILLE    BAY HOMEWARD RESULTS    OF    THE    VOYAGE. 

The  remainder  of  the  story  of  the  expedition  might  be  easily  summed 
up.  After  allowing  themselves  five  days  for  recruiting,  they  were  again 
on  their  way  to  the  north.  This  second  journey  was  peculiarly  rich  in 
incident  and  in  experience  with  the  natives,  with  whom  the  fortunes  of 
the  past  year  had  not  allowed  them  much  communication.  All  of  the 
principal  places  on  that  coast  were  touched  at,  each  one  furnishing  its  list 
of  pleasing  happenings.  As  the  fleet  landed  near  Pr5ven,  a  Danish  Es- 
quimaux town  well  to  the  north,  a  merry  party  of  Esquimaux  came  out 
to  greet  them,  dragging  their  kayaks  after  them  over  seven  miles  of  the 
pack,  and  then  spinning  out  to  them  over  the  narrow  channel  of  water. 
These  were  soon  followed  by  a  yawl  load  of  the  gentry  of  the  place. 
The  reader  will  best  enjoy  the  account  of  this  occasion  in  Dr.  Kane's  own 
words:  "She  (the  yawl)  brought  a  pleasant  company.  Unas,  the 
schoolmaster  and  parish  priest,  Louisa,  his  sister,  the  gentle  Amalia, 
Louisa's  cousin,  and  some  others  of  humbler  note.  The  baptismal 
waters  had  but  partially  regenerated  these  savages.  Their  deportment, 
at  least,  did  not  conform  to  our  nicest  canons.  For  the  first  few  minutes, 
to  be  sure,  the  ladies  kept  their  faces  close  covered  with  their  hands,  only 
withdrawing  them  to  blow  their  noses,  which  they  did  in  the  most  prim- 
itive and  picturesque  manner.  But  their  modesty  thus  assured,  they  felt 
that  it  needed  no  further  illustration.  They  volunteered  a  dance,  avowed 
to  us  confidentially  that  they  had  cultivated  tastes — Amalia,  that  she 
smoked,  Louisa,  that  she  tolerated  the  more  enlivening  liquids,  and 
both  that  their  exercise  in  the  o.pen  air  made  a  slight  refection  altogether 
acceptable.  Hospitality  is  the  virtue  of  these  wild  regions;  our  hard  tack? 

and  cranberries,  and  rum,  were  in  requisition  at  once. 

467 


468  THE    NATIONAL    DAY. 

"  It  is  not  for  the  host  to  tell  tales  of  his  after-dinner  company;  but 
the  truth  of  history  may  be  satisfied  without  an  intimation  that  our 
guests  paid  niggard  honors  to  the  jolly  god  of  a  milder  clime.  The  ver- 
iest prince  of  bottle  memories  would  not  have  quarreled  with  their 
heel-taps." 

Some  of  the  feats  performed  by  the  natives  in  their  kayaks  were  truly 
remarkable.  The  process  of  turning  a  somersault  in  the  water,  boat  and 
all,  seems  an  impossible  one,  but  its  practicability  among  the  Esquimaux 
is  attested  by  many  witnesses.  An  active  male  will  seize  a  large  stone 
in  both  hands,  and  leaning  backward,  will  disappear,  to  return  almost 
instantly,  still  holding  the  stone.  But  this  species  of  aquatic  perform- 
ance is  hardly  more  remarkable  than  the  process  of  catching  a  seal,  and 
is  certainlv  not  as  dangerous.  The  former  feat  is  exhibited  by  the  half- 
day  for  a  chew  of  tobacco  or  a  glass  of  grog.  The  latter  is  dared  be- 
cause hunger  and  the  domestic  necessity  demand  it. 

Here  at  PrSven  the  parties  celebrated  the  national  anniversary  in  the 
best  manner  that  their  limited  means  permitted.  By  way  of  salute,  and 
in  lieu  of  gunpowder,  the  seamen  rolled  a  huge  boulder  down  the  cliffs, 
"  spliced  the  main  brace  by  means  of  egg-nog,  made  from  the  eggs  of  the 
eider-duck,  and  wound  up  with  a  ball  in  which  some  of  the  Esqui- 
maux belles  figured  conspicuously.  Putting  to  sea  on  the  5th,  they  suc- 
ceeded in  working  their  way  northward,  and  on  the  I3th  they  encoun- 
tered their  old  acquaintance,  the  Prince  Albert,  from  which  they  had 
been  separated  in  the  besetment  of  the  month  before.  This  vessel,  though 
under  a  new  command,  was  back  more  once  upon  the  same  mission  as 
themselves.  The  two  expeditions  kept  together  for  three  weeks.  By 
watching  every  opening  in  the  ice  they  managed  to  make  a  few  miles  of 
northing  every  day,  which  brought  them  early  in  August  to  the  dreaded 
Melville  Bay,  over  which  the  "  Devil's  Thumb "  kept  solitary  guard. 
Here  they  found  the  ice  more  impracticable  than  the  year  before.  The 
icebergs  came  down,  threatening  them  with  instant  destruction.  The 
leads  were  all  closed,  and  solid  ice  blocked  up  the  passage  across  the  bay. 
The  British  abandoned  the  idea  of  succeeding  in  that  direction,  and 
proceeded  to  the  south,  there  to  continue  their  unsuccessful  search. 


HOME  WARD.  469 

Still  the  Americans  held  grimly  to  their  purpose,  and  remained 
moored  to  a  land-floe  waiting  for  the  ice  to  part  and  allow  them  to  pass 
to  the  west.  But  no  opening  came ;  the  way  was  still  blocked.  The 
season  was  not  so  favorable  as  the  former  one  had  been.  Only  a  few 
weeks  of  summer  remained,  and  to  remain  in  the  ice  of  Baffin's  Bay 
another  nine  months  was  not  to  be  thought  of  as  a  wise  course  for  the 
scurvy-riddled  crew.  The  commander,  therefore,  wisely  referring  to  a 
clause  in  his  formal  instructions  counseling  him  "  to  spend  only  one  win- 
ter in  the  Arctic  regions,"  resolved  to  set  sail  for  home  at  the  first 
opportunity.  Watching  their  chance,  they  one  day  noticed  a  lead  to  the 
south,  in  the  tremendous  ice-barrier.  Toward  this  they  steered,  and 
entered,  in  awe-struck  silence,  the  scanty  passage  opened  before  them. 
Any  closing  of  this  frightful  mouth  would  have  been  instantly  fatal,  but 
it  was  passed  in  safety,  and  the  escape  from  the  "Devil's  Nip"  was  a 
proverb  among  them  for  many  days. 

Once  pointed  for  home,  not  much  remains  to  tell  of  the  rest  of  the  jour- 
ney. They  touched  at  Upernavik,  Disco,  and  Holsteinberg,  and  enjoyed 
the  hospitality  of  the  kindly  Danes  and  Esquimaux,  who  were  well- 
bred  enough  not  to  laugh  at  their  ragged,  distressed  appearance.  With 
faces  sharpened  by  the  pinchings  of  hunger  and  cold,  beards  unshorn, 
and  limbs  tottering  from  sheer  weakness,  they  were,  as  Kane  expresses 
it,  "an  uncouth,  shabby,  and  withal,  snobby-looking  set  of  varlets." 
Their  own  flimsy  wardrobes  had  become  exhausted,  and  they  had  been 
obliged  of  late  to  resort  to  domestic  tailoring.  "  I  wish,"  says  Kane, 
"  that  some  of  my  soda-water-in-the-morning  friends  could  see  me  per- 
spiring over  a  pair  of  pants.  We  do  our  own  sewing,  clothing  our- 
selves cap-a-pie;  and  I  am  astonished  in  looking  back  upon  my  dark 
period  of  previous  ignorance,  to  feel  how  much  I  have  learned.  I  won- 
der whether  your  Philadelphia  tailor  knows  how  to  adjust,  with  a  ruler 
and  a  lump  of  soap,  the  seat  of  a  pair  of  breeches."  . 

But  the  trials  and  privations  to  which  for  over  a  year  they  had  been 
exposed,  were  soon  to  end.  Leaving  Holsteinberg  on  the  6th  of  Sep- 
tember, the  two  vessels  were  separated  in  a  gale  off  Cape  Farewell. 
After  a  run  of  twenty-four  days  the  Advance  arrived  at  New  York  on 


470  COURSE    OF    THE    DRIFT. 

the  30th  of  September.  The  Rescue  arrived  safely  seven  days  later ;  the 
greatest  gratitude  prevailing  among  all,  for  their  safe  deliverance  from 
so  many  dangers  of  shipwreck,  death,  and  disaster. 

It  now  remains  to  speak  briefly  of  certain  things  that  have  been,  up 
to  this  point,  purposely  neglected.  In  the  desire  to  make  the  narrative 
continuous  and  complete,  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  state  concisely  or 
minutely  the  course  of  the  expedition,  nor  the  geographical  results  which 
may  properly  be  claimed  for  it.  This,  with  the  indulgence  of  the  reader, 
we  will  now  attempt  to  do. 

The  slightest  attention  to  the  geography  of  North  America,  will 
make  the  course  of  the  party,  until  after  leaving  Melville  Bay,  perfectly 
plain  to  any  observer.  Not  so  perhaps,  their  wanderings  after  entering 
Lancaster  Sound,  and  the  labyrinth  of  waters  which  makes  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  northern  coast  of  North  America  perplexing  and  dangerous. 
Entering  Lancaster  Sound  according  to  official  instructions,  the  expedition 
pursued  a  course  almost  directly  west  through  Barrow  Straits  as  far  as 
Beechey  Island,  near  which  place  the  meeting  with  the  English  squad- 
ron took  place,  and  where  the  discoveries  before  mentioned  were  made. 
From  here  a  zigzag  course  was  pursued  along  the  islands  on  the  north 
of  Barrow  Strait,  as  far  west  as  Griffith  Island,  some  fifty  miles  to  the 
west  of  Wellington  Channel.  The  vessels  then  returned  to  Wellington 
Channel,  where  they  were  beset  in  September,  and  where  the  memorable 
drift  began  whose  principal  events  have  been  recorded  in  the  preceding 
pages.  The  course  of  the  drift  during  the  month  of  September  was  almost 
wholly  northward,  and  the  upper  extremity  of  the  Channel  was  almost 
reached  before  the  influence  of  the  currents  and  winds  changed  the  di- 
rection of  the  ice  field  in  which  they  floated,  and  a  southward  course  was 
begun.  Back  they  went,  over  nearly  the  same  ground  that  they  traveled 
in  ascending  the  channel.  Following  the  course  of  the  immense  ice 
prairie  which  had  now  accumulated  about  them,  they  drifted  slowly 
eastward  into  Baffin's  Bay,  and  thence  southeast  until,  as  we  have  seen, 
they  were  released,  after  nine  months  of  drifting,  near  the  coast  of 
Greenland. 

In   the  meantime,    in    the  drift   to   the    northward,   certain     natural 


AN    UNFORTUNATE  CONTROVERSY  471 

divisions  had  been  discovered,  and  received  names  from  the  American 
party.  These  discoveries,  while  they  were  of  no  great  practical  value, 
were  still  supposed,  at  that  time,  to  be  of  importance  in  confirming  a 
theory  which  was  gaining  ground  during  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  namely,  that  about  the  Pole  were  land  and  water  of  comparative- 
ly mild  temperature — perhaps  inhabited,  and  certainly  capable  of  sus- 
taining animal  life  ' 

These  discoveries  were  announced  in  Lieut.  De  Haven's  formal 
report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  in  substance  as  follows: 

"  Between  Cornwallis  Island  (already  long  since  discovered)  and  a 
large  mass  of  elevated  land  to  the  north,  was  seen  a  large  open  channel 
leading  to  the  westward.  To  this  was  given  the  name  of  '  Maury's 
Channel,'  in  honor  of  the  then  chief  of  the  Hydrographical  Bureau, 
and  the  National  Observatory.  The  large  body  of  high  land  seen  to 
the  north  between  N.  W.  and  N.  N.  E.,  was  termed  'Grinnell  Land,' 
in  honor  of  the  head  and  heart  of  the  man  in  whose  philanthropic 
mind  originated  the  idea  of  this  expedition,  and  to  whose  munificence  it 
owes  its  existence." 

A  remarkable  peak  on  the  eastern  visible  extremity  of  the  unknown 
land  was  termed  Mt.  Franklin,  with  obvious  fitness.  Several  other  un- 
important discoveries  were  made;  among  them  a  small  island  which  was 
named  after  Mr.  Murdaugh,  the  acting  master  of  the  Advance,  and  an 
inlet,  discovered  by  Mr.  Griffin,  the  commander  of  the  Rescue,  was 
aptly  named  from  its  discoverer. 

It  is  proper  to  remark  in  this  connection  that  the  matter  of  pre- 
cedence in  the  discovery  of  the  so-called  Grinnell  Land  above  men- 
tioned, became  a  subject  of  unfortunate  controversy  between  English 
and  American  geographers  and  explorers.  English  geographers,  in  cer- 
tain maps  published  in  the  latter  part  of  1851,  plotted  this  tract  of  land 
and  named  it  Prince  Albert  Land,  announcing  it  as  the  discovery  of 
Capt.  Ommaney,  confirmed  more  recently  by  the  explorations  of  Capt. 
Penny.  This  map  was  supplemented  by  a  foot-note  mentioning  the  fact 
of  the  American  claim,  and  stating  that  a  certain  other  tract  of  land 
bearing  some  60°  or  70°  to  the  westward  must  have  been  the  Grinnell 


472  THE   AMERICAN  CLAIM  VINDICATED. 

Land  announced  by  the  American  squadron  from  that  drift  of  Septem- 
ber, 1850.  The  injustice  of  this  course  was  easily  seen  from  the  follow- 
ing facts:  Capt.  Ommaney  was  proved  to  have  been  a  hundred  miles 
south  of  this  land  at  the  date  on  which  he  is  claimed  to  have  discovered 
it.  As  the  American  squadron  was  only  forty  miles  from  it  at  the  time 
its  leader  first  sighted  the  new  coast,  and  as  it  was  barely  visible  then, 
disappearing  upon  the  vessels  retreating  only  a  few  miles  to  the  south,  it 
followed  that  Capt.  Ommaney,  sixty  miles  still  farther  south,  could  not 
have,  as  was  professed,  seen  and  named  this  new  verge  of  a  possible 
Arctic  continent.  Again,  as  the  American  squadron  was  well  supplied 
with  chronometers  and  other  instruments,  it  was  hardly  possible  that  the 
able  leader  of  the  expedition  should  have  made  an  error  of  60°,  as  the 
English  aspirants  for  precedence  and  prestige  would  have  attributed  to 
him.  To  be  sure,  the  Americans  were  carried  thither  without  any 
choice  of  their  own,  and  it  was  under  circumstances  beyond  their  control 
that  they  preceded  the  British  party  in  the  matter  in  controversy ;  but,  as 
Dr.  Kane  laconically  observes,  "They  did  precede  them,"  and  thus,  with- 
out doubt,  established  the  claim  of  discoverers,  and  the  right  of  designa- 
tion. In  bringing  forward  this  discussion,  the  writer  has  endeavored  not 
to  allow  natural  prejudice  to  influence  him  in  presenting  the  facts,  and 
he  is  not  conscious  of  having  violated  any  rule  of  international  etiquette. 
All  American  geographers,  and  we  are  glad  to  note,  some  also  of  Eng- 
lish authorship,  continue  to  give  the  land  in  question  the  American  des- 
ignation, thus  vindicating,  after  three  decades,  the  American  claim. 


CHAPTER    LIII. 

EXPEDITION     OF    INGLEFIELD IN     THE     NAVY    YARD THE    CREW 

ADVERSE      INFLUENCES AT     FISKERN^ES GREENLAND      PIETY 

DEVIL'S    THUMB VARIOUS    DISCOVERIES NEARLY  SHIPWRECKED 

A    WATCHFUL    BEAR. 

The  screw  schooner,  Isabel,  was,  it  seems,  originally  fitted  out  by 
Mr.  Donald  Beatson  for  a  cruise  to  the  Arctic  regions  in  search  of  Sir 
John  Franklin  by  way  of  Behring's  Strait.  This  expedition,  however, 
owing  to  unavoidable  difficulties,  was  abandoned,  and  the  ship,  with  five 
years'  provisions  for  twelve  men,  and  a  small,  high  pressure  engine  of 
sixteen-horse  power,  which  had  been  fitted  to  drive  an  Archimedian 
screw,  besides  having  been  doubled,  strengthened,  and  covered  as  far  up 
as  the  heads  with  galvanized  iron,  was  thrown  back  upon  the  hands  of 
Lady  Franklin,  the  original  owner.  It  was  then  offered  to  the  admiralty 
for  Arctic  service ;  but  their  lordships  not  caring  to  inaugurate  any  more 
Arctic  expeditions,  declined  the  offer. 

A  proposition  was  then  made  by  Lady  Franklin  to  Commander  E. 
A.  Inglefield  to  the  effect  that  he  should  take  the  vessel,  provide  a  crew 
and  such  other  details  of  equipment  as  the  vessel  should  require,  and 
that  he  should  take  the  provisions  now  on  board,  and,  joining  the  squad- 
ron at  present  in  the  Arctic  regions,  deposit  with  them  his  provisions, 
and  return  the  same  season  to  England.  Capt.  Inglefield  had  little  relish 
for  being  employed  merely  as  a  transport  captain,  but  seeing  how  well 
fitted  the  vessel  was  for  Arctic  cruising,  he  accepted  Lady  Franklin's 
liberal  offer  to  give  him  the  ship  in  compensation  for  his  services,  pro- 
viding that  he  could  be  allowed  to  conduct  a  search  in  any  manner  he 
saw  fit;  provided,  also,  that  he  could  obtain  leave  of  absence  from  the 
Lord  Admiral,  and  be  allowed  to  have  his  vessel  fitted  up  in  a  govern- 
ment yard. 

473 


474  IN    THE   DOCK-TARD. 

As  he  had  already  expressed  his  taste  and  willingness  for  Arctic 
explorations  by  volunteering  on  several  previous  occasions  to  join  a 
search  for  Sir  John  Franklin,  and  as  he  further  believed  that  Franklin 
could  be  found,  or  that  he  could  be  followed  over  the  route  which  he 
h^d  chosen,  he  regarded  this  opportunity  as  too  tempting  to  be  lost;  and 
as  the  admiralty  granted  him  in  full  the  permission  he  desired,  -he  lost 
no  time  in  acquainting  Lady  Franklin  with  his  decision. 

With  the  divers  appliances  on  hand  at  the  navy  yard  it  was  a  com- 
paratively short  task  to  fix  up  the  little  schooner,  and  with  the  engine 
thoroughly  examined,  provisions  well  stored,  sails  duly  repaired,  and 
ship  considerably  strengthened,  together  with  the  addition  of  sledges, 
tents,  traveling  and  cooking  apparatus,  and  innumerable  articles  which 
many  friends  found  the  means  of  supplying,  Inglefield  was  ready  to  move 
out  of  the  basin  on  the  4th  of  July,  1852. 

After  taking  leave  of  his  friends,  the  Lord  Admiral  and  Lady 
Franklin,  Inglefield  caused  his  vessel  to  be  towed  out  of  the  harbor,  and 
was  soon  speeding  up  along  the  coasts  of  England  and  Scotland.  His 
plan  of  search  was  briefly  as  follows :  His  first  object  was  to  arrive  at 
Whale,  Smith  and  Jones'  Sounds  by  either  the  eastern  or  western  shores, 
ascending  as  he  might  find  that  the  state  of  the  ice  would  enable  him  to 
do,  and  having  thoroughly  examined  these  sounds,  bays,  inlets,  or  what- 
ever they  turned  out  to  be  (for  there  was  then  no  accurate  knowledge 
of  them),  he  would,  if  not  forced  to  winter  so  far  north,  proceed  aown 
the  western  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay,  exploring  its  shores  as  far  south  as 
Labrador. 

In  order  that  he  might  intelligently  communicate  with  the  natives, 
he  hoped,  at  Holsteinberg,  or  some  other  Danish  town,  to  procure  an 
interpreter,  and  with  this  in  view  he  had  taken  with  him  a  letter  to  the 
Danish  authorities  of  Greenland,  requesting  for  him  their  assistance, 
should  he  be  in  need  of  it. 

If  the  lateness  of  the  season  or  any  other  cause  should  oblige  him  to 
winter  at  Lancaster  Sound  or  north  of  it,  he  hoped  by  means  of  his 
sledges  to  be  able  to  communicate  with  the  royal  squadron,  as  well  as 
to  make  a  careful  search  of  all  the  deep  inlets  of  Baffin's  Bay ;  and  thus, 


THE  CREW.  475 

even  if  unsuccessful  in  the  great  object  of  his  voyage,  he  hoped  to  settle 
forever  the  vexed  question  of  the  entrance  into  the  Great  Polar  Basin 
through  the  so-called  Smith's  Sound,  which  before  his  voyage  had  never 
been  approached  nearer  than  within  seventy  miles. 

After  stopping  for  their  last  letters  at  Peterhead,  on  the  coast  of 
Scotland,  they  steamed  away,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight  of  land. 

The  crew  and  officers  who  composed  this  "little  band  of  spirited 
adventurers,"  as  the  newspapers  spoke  of  them  at  the  time,  numbered 
seventeen,  and  consisted  of  two  ice-masters  and  a  mate,  a  surgeon,  an 
engineer,  a  stoker,  who  was  also  a  blacksmith,  two  carpenters,  a  cook, 
and  eight  able  seamen.  Of  these  every  one  of  the  officers  was  a  man  of 
experience  and  ability.  Dr.  Sutherland,  the  surgeon,  was  particularly  a 
valuable  man,  having  been  engaged  in  the  previous  Arctic  expedition 
under  Mr.  Penny,  and  being  versed  in  the  sciences  a  knowledge  of 
which  would  be  called  into  play  in  the  Arctic  regions. 

The  accommodations  of  the  Isabel  were  very  scanty.  "My  cabin," 
says  Capt.  Inglefield,  "was  not  more  than  six  feet  square,  having  a  sky- 
light at  the  top  of  a  kind  of  trunk,  which  passed  through  a  storeroom, 
built  on  the  middle  of  the  quarter  deck.  My  bunk,  or  sleeping  berth, 
was  on  the  starboard  side,  four  feet  above  the  deck,  and  could  only  be 
approached  through  an  aperture  in  a  kind  of  wooden  screen;  and  certain 
convenient  book-shelves  and  lockers  were  fitted  in  all  the  angles  and 
corners,  which  none  but  those  accustomed  to  a  seafaring  life  could  have 
so  ingeniously  appropriated.  A  table  two  feet  by  two  and  a  half,  was 
fixed  against  the  bulkhead  which  separated  the  'doctor's  cabin'  from  the 
captain's  'stateroom ;'  the  former  something  smaller  than  the  latter,  the 
bunk  the  same  size,  but  arranged  as  the  sleeping  berths  of  the  doctor 
and  Mr.  Manson,  one  of  the  ice-masters.  The  engineer's  cabin,  and 
Mr.  Abernethy's  (the  other  ice-master),  occupied  positions  on  either  side 
of  the  engine-room  hatch,  so  that  when  steam  was  up,  they  enjoyed  a 
temperature  of  100°  Fahrenheit." 

The  boiler  and  engine  were  as  convenient!}'  placed  as  possible.  It 
was  impossible,  however,  on  so  small  a  ship  so  to  arrange  the  binnacle, 
that  the  compass  should  not  be  disturbed  by  the  presence  of  so  much 


476  FISKERNsES. 

metal.  Indeed,  the  writer  is  disposed  to  attribute  the  discrepancies  in 
Commander  Inglefield's  results,  as  afterward  determined  by  Dr.  Kane, 
directly  to  the  necessary  inaccuracy  of  the  former's  instruments.  Ingle- 
field  himself  remarks :  "  Owing  to  the  amount  of  iron  in  the  vessel,  the 
local  attraction  was  very  great.  The  boiler,  engine,  screw,  its  shaft  and 
gearing,  together  with  the  iron  sheathing,  were  all  powerful  agents  to 
bewilder  our  magnetic  instruments."  It  will  be  thus  seen  that  Dr. 
Kane's  conclusions  (they  will  be  given  in  a  subsequent  chapter),  how- 
ever arbitrary  they  mav  seem,  were  in  reality  reasonable,  and  based  upon 
facts  which  sufficiently  explain  the  discrepancies  of  Capt.  Inglefield. 

A  meeting  with  several  English  sails,  and  a  severe  and  lasting  gale 
encountered  off  Cape  Farewell,  were  the  principal  events  of  importance 
occurring  during  the  voyage  to  the  first  stopping  place  on  the  Greenland 
coast.  On  the  Jih  of  August,  as  the  vessel  was  keeping  in  toward  some 
islands  on  account  of  the  heaviness  of  the  sea,  some  natives  were  ob- 
served coming  off  in  their  light  kayaks.  It  was  soon  understood  that  the 
vessel  was  off  Fiskernaes,  a  Danish  settlement ;  and  Capt.  Inglefield  was 
soon  able  to  verify  his  position  from  his  instruments.  Having  taken  the 
Esquimaux  and  their  canoes  on  board,  one  of  them,  seemingly  more  in- 
telligent than  the  oth,ers,  proposed  to  take  the  ship  into  an  anchorage, 
and,  thinking  it  prudent  to  stop  for  the  night,  Capt.  Inglefield  yielded  to 
his  inclination  to  see  the  settlement,  and  proceeded  to  land  in  the  little 
harbor.  So  very  small  was  the  bay  of  Fiskernaes,  however,  that  the 
ship  grated  on  a  rock  in  passing,  and  demolished  her  rudder.  This  mis- 
fortune was  repaired  in  a  short  time,  and  after  righting  the  ship  up  pre- 
paratory to  her  coming  battle  with  the  ice,  Inglefield  landed  to  wait  on 
the  Danish  Governor,  Mr.  Lazzen.  Here  the  greatest  hospitality  was 
shown  him,  and  although  neither  the  governor  nor  his  secretary  could 
speak  anything  except  Danish,'  some  information  was  gathered  of  the 
modes  of  life  in  these  regions.  Among  other  things  they  found  that  for 
some  reason  sledging  was  not  practiced  in  this  bay,  but  the  travel  and 
traffic  were  performed  wholly  in  the  water  by  means  of  the  kayaks, 
and  "oomiaks"  or  woman-boats.  The  firewood,  consisting  of  willows, 
half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  scanty  at  that,  was  gathered  in  these 


477 


478  GREENLAND  PIETT. 

oomiaks.     The   principal  export  seemed  to  be  codfish,  of  which  a  ship- 
load had  been  sent  away,  to  Denmark  only  a  few  days  previous. 

Curious  to  observe  the  method  of  worship  in  this  out-of-the-way 
place,  Inglefield  obeyed  the  summons  of  a  little  bell  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  took  his  place  in  the  village  church  to  watch  the  worshipers  as 
they  flocked  in. 

"Softly,  but  rapidly,  the  little  meeting-house  filled,  and  then  the  door 
closed,  and  an  Esquimaux  with  the  most  forbidding  exterior  of  any  I 
had  seen,  slowly  rose,  and  with  much  solemnity  gave  out  a  hymn,  and  in 
a  few  moments  the  melodious  harmony  of  many  well-tuned  voices  broke 
forth.  I  was  delighted  with  the  strain,  for  though  not  a  word  was  in- 
telligible to  me,  I  could  nevertheless  feel  that  each  person  was  lifting  his 
heart  to  his  Maker,  and  I  unconsciously  joined  in  the  harmony  with  words 
which,  having  been  learnt  in  childhood,  now  rushed  into  my  mind,  and 
bade  me  mingle  them  with  the  hallelujahs  of  these  poor  semi-savages. 
*  *  *  *  *  ^Y  sermon  followed,  and  there  burst  from  the  preach- 
er's lips  a  flow  of  elocution  that  I  have  seldom  heard  equaled;  without 
gesticulation  he  warmed  to  his  subject  till  the  large  drops  of  perspiration 
fell  on  the  sacred  volume,  and  his  tone  and  emphasis  proved  that  he  was 
gifted  with  eloquence  of  no  ordinary  nature."  After  exchanging  court- 
esies with  the  authorities,  by  giving  and  receiving  several  dinners,  the 
party  bade  a  final  adieu  to  the  little  harbor  of  Fiskernaes  and  steamed 
away  to  the  north.  Capt.  Inglefield  intended  to  touch  at  Holsteinborg,  in 
order  to  take  on,  if  possible,  one  Adam  Beck,  a  Dane,  who  had  become 
responsible  for  a  report  of  Franklin's  murder.  Inglefield  desired  to 
make  him  prove  his  statements  by  actually  visiting  the  scene  of  the  al- 
leged tragedy,  A  gale,  however,  drove  the  vessel  by  Holsteinborg 
with  such  force  that  the  town  could  not  be  made,  and  so  the  project  re- 
ferred to  above  had  to  be  abandoned. 

It  was  now  resolved  to  push  for  Godhaven  on  Disco  Island  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  dogs  and  an  interpreter.  On  reaching  this  port  it 
was  found  that  Sir  Edward  Belcher,  who  had  preceded  Inglefield,  had 
taken  all  the  dogs  there  were  to  spare.  The  governor,  however,  gave 
Capt.  Inglefield  a  letter  to  the  authorities  at  Upernavik,  directing  that 


DEVIL'S    THUMB.  479 

his  wants  should  be  supplied  there.  Finding  here  the  mail  bags  of  Sir 
Edward  Belcher's  squadron,  they  gladly  added  their  letters  to  his  dis- 
patches, and  proceeded  to  Upernavik.  Landing  here  on  the  i6th  of 
August,  they  were  not  long  in  procuring  the  things  which  they  needed. 

"A  description  of  this  settlement,"  says  I nglefield,  "  would  be  quite 
superfluous,  for  one  of  these  Greenland  villages  is  so  exactly  the  counter- 
part of  another,  that  any  one  account  of  their  huts  and  houses  would  be 
equally  suitable  to  all;  two  or  three  wooden  houses  for  the  settlers,  and  a 
few  mud  huts  for  the  Esquimaux,  arc  the  general  features  of  these 
places." 

A  stiff  southerly  breeze  soon  brought  them  in  sight  of  the  entrance 
to  Melville  Bay.  It  was  now  forty -one  days  since  they  left  Peterhead, 
and  they  had  reached  this  point  only  a  few  days  later  than  the  expedition 
of  the  previous  year,  with  apparently  a  better  season,  unencumbered  with 
a  consort,  and  without  orders.  The  Devil's  Thumb  and  Crimson  Cliff 
were  successively  passed,  a  sharp  lookout  being  kept  in  the  meantime  for 
vestiges  of  wrecks  and  traces  of  human  life.  A  wedge  of  a  ship's  mast, 
a  cask,  a  cork,  and  some  staves  were  picked  up,  and  at  the  time  seemed 
worthy  of  notice  with  reference  to  the  missing  squadron;  but,  as  was 
afterward  found,  the  disasters  of  the  whalers  in  Melville  Bay  accounted 
for  the  presence  and  condition  of  these  articles. 

After  discovering  and  naming  Northumberland  Island  and  Murchison 
Channel,  and  accurately  fixing  Hakluyt  Islands,  discovered  but  wrongly 
located  by  Baffin  many  years  before,  steam  and  sail  were  put  on,  and  the 
vessel  sped  away  to  the  northward,  and  Smith's  Strait  and  Sound  were 
reached.  Here  many  points  of  interest  were  discovered  and  named. 
The  western  coast  showed  at  some  distance  back  a  high  range  of  moun- 
tains, which  were  called  after  His  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales; 
and  those  terminating  in  the  most  northern  point  visible,  received  their 
name  from  the  English  Queen,  Victoria  Head. 

The  bay  intervening  between  that  and  Cape  Albert,  was  named  after 
the  Princess  Marie,  then  Duchess  of  Hamilton.  Other  capes  on  the  west 
shore  were  called  after  the  Earl  of  Camperdown,  Col.  Sabine,  and  Miss 
Cracroft,  a  niece  of  Sir  John  Franklin. 


480  VARIOUS   DISCOVERIES. 

On  the  eastern  land,  the  furthest  northern  point  observed  was  called 
after  his  Danish  Majesty,  King  Frederick  VII.,  being  the  most  northern 
point  of  his  dominions.  The  water  nearest  this  point  was  called  after 
Lady  Franklin,  Franklin  Bay,  and  other  capes,  bays,  gulfs,  and  moun- 
tains of  less  importance  were  designated  after  distinguished  English  dig- 
nitaries. As  has  been  seen,  Inglefield's  locations,  especially  his  repre- 
sentation of  the  trend  of  Smith's  Strait,  were  faulty,  but  the  tracing  of 
the  configuration  was  mainly  correct,  and  with  the  new  latitude  and 
longitude  afterward  given,  the  points  noted  by  him  did  not  receive  new 
names. 

A  violent  gale  rising  soon  after  Victoria  Head  was  discovered, 
prevented  any  further  progress  to  the  north,  and  a  return  to  Jones  Sound 
was  now  contemplated.  The  highest  latitude  reached  by  the  Isabella 
was,  according  to  Inglefield's  reckoning,  78°  30',  being  farther  north 
than  any  vessel  had  yet  attained  in  this  Sound.  As  Kane  afterward 
found  that  Inglefield  had  made  the  coasts  of  the  strait  trend  too  much  to 
the  north,  it  is  probable  that  the  latitude  reached  at  this  time  was  less 
than  reported  by  him. 

The  ship  was  now  directed  along  the  north  coast  of  Jones  Sound,  and 
Inglis  Peak  and  Cape  Maxwell  were  successively  noticed,  and  named 
from  English  personages.  After  attaining  a  western  longitude  of  84° 
10',  the  ship  scudded  before  a  gale  over  to  the  south  shore,  and  the  party 
once  more  proceeded  eastward,  surveying  and  charting  the  coast  as  they 
went. 

After  reaching  the  eastern  extremity  of  Jones  Sound  and  nearly  suf- 
fering shipwreck  on  Cape  Parker,  it  was  necessary  to  decide  what 
should  be  their  next  step ;  and  after  deliberation,  it  was  determined  to 
risk  the  chance  of  being  caught  by  freezing  up,  and  of  spending  the  win- 
ter in  the  ice,  for  the  benefit  that  might  be  conferred  on  the  government 
service,  by  carrying  the  surplus  stores  of  provisions  and  coal  to  the 
squadron  of  Sir  Edward  Belcher,  whose  provision-ship,  the  North  Star, 
was  known  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  Beechey  Island.  In  this  case  Sir 
Edward  might  be  benefited  by  Inglefield's  discoveries,  and  on  the  other 
hand,  the  latter  could  carry  back  to  England,  which  could  probably  be 


A    WATCHFUL   BEAR.  481 

reached  before  winter,  the  latest  intelligence  of  the  movements   of  the 
squadron,  and  of  their  chances  of  success. 

Upon  reaching  Beechey  Island,  it  was  found  that  Sir  Edward  and 
Capt.  Kellett  had  sailed  from  that  place  with  their  steam-tenders  about 
three  weeks  previously,  the  former  up  Wellington  Channel  and  the  latter 
to  Melville  Island ;  nothing  since  had  been  heard  of  either  of  them ;  and 
it  was  supposed  that  Sir  Edward  had  gone  away  into  open  water  beyond 
Parry  Strait.  The  officers  of  the  North  Star  could  not  be  induced  to 
accept  any  considerable  amount  of  the  stores  offered  by  Inglefield, 
although  the  fact  that  he  was  about  to  return  to  England  made  it  pos- 
sible for  him  to  part  with  the  most  he  had  on  board. 

Here  they  showed  Inglefield  the  three  graves  of  Franklin's  men, 
which  had  been  discovered  by  Penny  and  DeHaven  two  years  previous, 
and  told  him  of  the  bear  which  was  said  to  keep  a  continuous  vigil  over 
one  of  the  graves,  sitting  upon  it  every  night. 

The  mail  bags  being  all  prepared,  and  the  kind  farewells  said,  the 
Isabella  prepared  to  begin  her  homeward  journey,.  It  was  at  first  in- 
tended to  land  at  Holsteinberg,  but  Whalefish  Islands  proving  a  more 
convenient  point,  a  landing  was  effected  here,  and  the  ship  refitted  for 
the  homeward  journey.  After  a  rest  of  several  days,  during  which 
time  a  reception  and  ball,  given  by  the  Danish  Crown,  were  enjoyed, 
the  party  set  out  for  home,  where  they  landed  in  November,  just  four 
months  from  the  time  of  starting. 

Upon  arriving  in  England  Capt.  Inglefield  published  an  account  of 
his  adventures,  and  received  the  approbation  of  many  public  men. 
Although,  through  causes  over  which  he  had  no  control,  his  results  were, 
many  of  them,  inaccurate,  his  voyage  was  still  a  valuable  service  to  the 
cause  of  geographical  science,  and  deserves  due  mention  in  our  list. 


CHAPTER    LIV. 

BIOGRAPHY    OF    KANE EARLY    QUALITIES FORMAL    EDUCATION IN 

WRETCHED    HEALTH DECIDES    UPON    A    LIFE    OF    CELIBACY HIS 

LOVE-LIFE CRITICISMS. 

f 

It  is  the  misfortune  of  some  men  to  outlive  their  reputations,  at  least 
so  far  as  their  noble,  worthy  features  are  concerned.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  has  often  been  observed  that  real  worthiness  of  character,  and  even 
genius,  have  not  received  full  recognition  nor  due  homage  until  the  ear 
of  the  possessor  "  has  grown  too  dull  to  hear."  Fortunate  is  the  man 
who,  like  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  listens  in  life  to  the  praise  of  his 
own  heroic  and  virtuous  deeds,  and  dies  with  affectionate  and  honorable 
tributes  still  offered  him  on  every  hand.  Admiration  for  so  distinguished 
an  American,  and  a  knowledge  of  his  popularity  and  thorough 
appreciation  in  every  part  of  America,  must  be  the  excuse  (though  none 
were  needed)  for  giving  his  biography  so. large  a  place  in  this  series  of 
narratives. 

ELISHA  KENT  KANE  was  born  on  the  3d  of  February,  1820,  on  Wal- 
nut St.,  Philadelphia.  In  respect  to  nationality  he  was  descended  from 
four  distinct  ancestral  stocks.  He  numbered  as  his  progenitors  the 
Grays,  of  English,  the  Van  Rensselasrs,  of  Low  Dutch,  the  Leipers,  of 
Scotch,  and  the  Kanes,  of  Irish  extraction.  His  immediate  ancestors 
were  John  K.  Kane  of  Philadelphia,  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Leiper, 
all  parties  being  prominent  and  well-known  in  the  politics  and  public 
events  of  the  days  in  which  they  lived. 

As  a  child,  as  a  youth,  and  as  a  man,  Kane  exhibited  striking  qual- 
ities. His  muscular  and  nervous  characteristics  were  such  as  to  fit  him 
for  all  manner  of  athletic  exercises,  and  in  these  he  especially  delighted 
to  engage.  His  freedom  and  independence  of  spirit,  with  his  intense 

aversion  to  arbitrary  authority,  gave   him,  in  the  estimation  of  prim- 

482 


DR.    E.    K.   KANE. 


483 


484  EARLY  DUALITIES. 

iiive  people,  the  character  of  a  "bad  boy,"  though  he  really  had  none 
of  the  qualities  by  virtue  of  which  he  should  have  merited  this  title. 
There  was  nothing  of  the  hypocrite  in  his  nature,  and  he  scorned  to 
resort  to  those  little  lying  subterfuges  which  "  goodish"  boys  are  apt  to 
employ  in  order  to  shield  themselves  from  the  results  of  bad  behavior. 
His  frank  and  open  character  surprised  the  good  people  of  his  neigh- 
borhood and  acquaintance,  who  did  not  interpret  him  as  they  grew  to 
do  afterward;  and  who,  not  understanding  him  at  all,  chose  to  ascribe  to 
him  those  qualities  which  many  boys  possess.  Many  incidents  of  his 
early  life  well  illustrate  his  manly  disinterestedness  and  generosity.  Es- 
pecially did  he  establish  himself  as  the  guardian  and  protector  of  his 
younger  brothers.  One  day,  when  about  nine  years  of  age,  being  at 
school  with  his  little  brother  much  younger,  the  latter  was  about  to 
suffer  a  whipping  for  some  slight  offense,  when  Elisha  sprang  up,  ex- 
claiming: "Whip  me,  don't  whip  him,  he's  so  little!"  The  teacher, 
thinking  that  this  was  another  exhibition  of  the  boy's  rebellious  spirit, 
said,  "  I'll  whip  you  too,  sir."  The  struggle  which  followed  showed 
young  Kane's  notions  of  justice,  although  he  left  the  room  with  marks 
that  required  explanation. 

He  was  of  that  wiry,  nervous  physique  which  enables  people  to  do 
and  endure  in  a  manner  which  surprises  not  only  every  one  else,  but 
oftentimes,  themselves,  also.  Commonplace  feats  he  was  never  satisfied 
to  attempt.  He  must  undertake  that  which  was  difficult,  daring,  and  in 
his  earlier  life,  many  times  what  was  reckless  and  useless.  It  was  just 
this  go-ahead,  energetic  spirit  which  enabled  him  in  after  years  to  walk 
over  difficulty,  and  accomplish  his  undertakings,  frequently  in  the  midst 
of  untold  peril,  and  in  a  condition  of  physical  weakness  amounting  al- 
most to  prostration.  Like  many  other  men  who  have  risen  to  eminence, 
he  did  not,  in  his  earliest  youth,  show  a  taste  for  learning,  and  certainly 
not  a  fondness  for  lessons  set  by  teachers,  but  having  chosen  to  follow  a 
given  course  of  action,  convinced  of  its  reasonableness  or  necessity,  no 
dislikes,  or  difficulties,  or  importunities  sufficed  to  shake  him  from  his 
purpose. 

His  father,  afterward  Judge  Kane,  was  a  shrewd  lawyer,  literateur, 


BEGINS    ACTIVE    LIFE.  485 

and  connoisseur  in  science,  and  seeing,  with  his  keen  penetration,  that 
here  were  occult  possibilities,  wisely  let  him  choose  his  course  for  him- 
self in  regard  to  his  formal  education.  He  had  intended  his  son  for 
Yale  College,  and  took  him  to  New  Haven  for  entrance,  but  it  was 
here  soon  discovered  that  he  was  already  smitten  with  the  heart  disease 
which  hung  about  him  all  his  life.  The  University  of  Virginia,  in  pre- 
senting the  plan  of  elective  studies,  gave  more  freedom  to  a  youth  of 
poor  health,  and  here,  for  a  time,  he  prosecuted  his  studies.  There  was 
nothing  peculiar  about  young  Kane's  college  course  except  that  he  man- 
ifested a  great  delight  in  the  concrete  realization  of  what  he  got  in  the 
abstract  from  books.  Geology,  chemistry,  botany,  must  all  receive  body 
and  meaning  to  him  by  actual  examinations  on  the  rocks,  in  the  woods, 
or  in  the  laboratory.  Thus,  though  he  did  not  take  a  degree,  his  knowl- 
edge of  all  the  subjects  which  he  investigated  was  marvelously  com- 
plete and  thorough.  His  great  command  of  language,  his  happy  choice 
of  words,  and  his  wonderful  knowledge  of  the  terminology  of  the  sci- 
ences, are  well  seen  in  the  descriptions  which  he  has  written  of  his  voy- 
ages to  the  Polar  regions. 

Although  in  wretched  health,  and  without  prospect  of  any  change 
for  the  better,  it  became  necessary  for  Kane  to  choose  a  profession ;  such 
a  temperament,  and  such  activity  of  mind,  could  not  be  satisfied  without 
some  definite  aim.  His  studies  in  chemistry,  and  his  thorough  insight 
into  the  methods  of  scientific  investigation,  made  his  subsequent  choice 
of  the  study  of  medicine  a  wise  one,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  he 
graduated  in  that  profession  at  the  head  of  his  class,  and  with  a  thesis 
which  gave  him  great  celebrity  and  made  him  unquestioned  authority 
on  the  subject  treated. 

He  entered  a  hospital  as  senior  officer  soon  after  graduation,  but  it 
was  seen  that  his  health  demanded  a  change.  He  therefore  be- 
came a  candidate  for  the  position  of  assistant  surgeon  of  the  United 
States  navy.  Having  received  this  appointment,  his  life  thereafter  was, 
to  a  great  extent,  a  life  of  travel.  With  the  questions  how  this  suited 
him,  and  to  what  results  some  other  manner  of  life  would  have  led,  we 
have  nothing  to  do.  We  can  only  record  here  that,  placed  as  he  was,  he 


486  LOVE-LIFE. 

made  the  best  of  every  circumstance,  and  became  the  polished  scientist 
and  brilliant  writer  that  his  published  works  show  him  to  have  been. 
Mexico,  every  part  of  Europe,  many  parts  of  Asia  and  Africa,  most  of 
the  important  islands  of  both  oceans,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  the  extrem- 
ity of  America,  became  the  scenes  of  his  observation,  and  their  interest- 
ing features  received  successively  the  attention  of  his  brilliant  and  well- 
balanced  mind.  "Some  persons,"  says  Pres.  Fairchild,  in  his  Moral 
Philosophy,  "without  physical  health,  or  foundation  for  it,  live  because 
they  deem  it  to  be  their  duty."  We  are  aware  of  not  having  quoted 
his  words  exactly,  but  this  idea  of  the  predominance  of  the  soul  over 
the  body,  of  the  will  over  corporal  weakness,  was  embodied  truly  in 
Kane.  H^  rose  from  a  sick  bed  to  his  adventures  many  times  when  ris- 
ing seemed  indeed  a  resurrection. 

It  is  impossible  to  go  into  the  details  of  his  eventful  life  up  to  the 
time  of  those  events  with  which  this  volume  has  particularly  to  do.  It 
remains,  therefore,  to  mention  briefly  some  matters  connected  with  his 
private  life,  before  continuing  the  narrative  from  which  this  biography 
is  an  incidental,  though  necessary  digression. 

Kane's  great  physical  weakness  had  determined  him  in  early  man- 
hood to  lead  a  life  of  celibacy.  It  is  said  that  as  he  was  one  day  going 
the  rounds  of  the  poor-house  hospital  in  his  junior  service  as  physician  to 
that  institution,  he  came  across  a  diminutive,  squalid  pauper,  who  had 
married  rather  a  comely  woman  in  the  house.  The  senior  physician, 
who  was  with  him  at  the  time,  asked  him  what  he  presumed  must  be 
the  feelings  of  that  woman  when  she  looked  upon  this  disgusting  speci- 
men, and  reflected  that  he  was  her  lord  and  master.  To  which  Kane 
very  seriously  replied :  "It  is  to  save  some  lady  just  such  thoughts  as 
those,  that  I  have  determined  never  to  marry."  In  spite  of  this  deter- 
mination, however,  and  in  spite  of  his  physical  infirmities,  he  proved 
susceptible  in  after  years  to  the  charms  of  the  fair  sex.  In  the  latter 
part  of  1852  Kane  became  acquainted  with  the  celebrated  Margaret  Fox, 
whose  name  has  long  been  familiar  in  connection  with  the  "spiritual 
manifestations"  which  were  such  a  source  of  wonder  and  scientific  com- 
ment at  the  time.  Although  she  was  but  a  very  young  girl  at  the  time 


CRITICISMS.  487 

he  first  met  her,  he  fell  in  love  with  her  at  first  sight,  and  resolved  to 
win  and  marry  her.  The  remainder  of  his  life  was  crowded  full  of  af- 
fection and  brotherly  tenderness.  Probably  a  more  devoted  couple  never 
became  engaged  than  these  two,  though  circumstances  were  against  the 
unalloyed  and  unbroken  enjoyment  of  each  other's  society. 

The  necessity  compelling  the  Doctor's  continued  absence  as  well  as 
the  precarious  condition  of  his  health,  prevented  their  marriage  for  many 
years ;  but  this  separation  resulted  in  a  rich  legacy  of  correspondence 
which  indicates  more  clearly  than  any  other  circumstance  could  do,  the 
sincere,  pure,  noble  character  of  the  affection  of  each  toward  the  other. 
They  were  at  last  married  a  short  time  before  his  death,  but  the  affair 
was  so  quietly  conducted,  that  many  for  a  time  doubted  its  reality,  and 
thus  placed  the  unhappy  widow  in  a  most  undesirable  light  before  the 
world.  It  was  partly  for  the  purpose  of  vindicating  her  own  purity  and 
that  of  her  sainted  dead  that  she  afterward  allowed  his  correspondence 
to  be  published.  His  letters  reveal  a  depth  and  warmth  and  steadfast- 
ness of  affection,  which  is  rarely  if  ever  excelled.  No  aspect  of  a  man's 
life  so  thoroughly  reveals  his  character  as  the  relation  which  he  holds  to 
the  object  of  his  affections,  and  for  the  same  reason,  in  no  way  does  the 
public  come  so  close  to  a  man's  inner  life  as  in  the  correspondence  grow- 
ing out  of  such  relation.  Thus  if  there  had  ever  been  any  doubt  of  the 
sincerity  and  purity  of  Dr.  Kane,  or  her  whom  he  honored  with  the  best 
love  of  his  life,  it  surely  was  dispelled  upon  presenting  to  the  public  eye 
the  correspondence  of  his  private  life. 

Few  distinguished  persons  escape  entirely  the  attacks  of  calumniators, 
and  we  find  that  our  hero  was  no  exception.  In  his  voyage  to  the  Arctic 
regions,  certain  difficulties  in  government  of  the  crew  arose,  the  particu- 
lars of  which  will  appear  in  their  proper  place.  We  refer  to  them  here 
for  the  purpose  of  showing  in  what  way  the  charges  of  injustice  brought 
against  him,  as  the  commanding  officer,  had  been  refuted.  His  course 
on  one  of  the  occasions  referred  to  was  strongly  condemned  after  his 
return  by  certain  persons,  who,  not  knowing  the  circumstances,  and 
being  natural  and  chronic  croakers,  felt  called  upon  to  express  a  gra- 
tuitous opinion  upon  the  subject.  A  letter  from  Wm.  Morton,  one  of  the 


488 


VINDICATION. 


crew,  and  a  penetrating,  sagacious  man,  fully  vindicates  the  action  of  the 
Doctor  in  each  of  the  difficulties  which  arose.  Mutinies  were  not  totally 
unlocked  for  in  such  a  time  and  under  such  circumstances  as  an  Arctic 
famine  suggests;  and  if  measures  which  seemed  extreme  were  resorted 
to,  it  seems  that  the  Doctor  should  receive  praise  for  exercising  prompt- 
ness and  bravery,  instead  of  pursuing  a  course  which  would  have  resulted 
in  the  disaffection  of  the  whole  party.  His  fame  and  name  are  too 
thoroughly  established  to  need  exculpation  now.  The  circumstances  of 
his  last  days  and  of  his  death  may  be  best  given  after  the  narration  of 
the  adventures  whose  daring  and  danger  have  chiefly  given  him 
celebrity. 


CHAPTER    LV. 

THEORY  OF   KANE  THE    POLE  OF  GREATEST   COLD  HIS   APPOINT- 
MENT  AND   INSTRUCTIONS HIS   PLAN IN   MELVILLE    BAY 

SMITH'S    SOUND — GREAT    PERII EXTREME    LATITUDE  —  THE 

ADVANCE  AT  ANCHOR. 

To  resume  the  broken  thread.  Upon  the  return  of  the  first  Grinnell 
Expedition,  the  adventures  of  the  voyage  were  fully  set  forth  in  a  large 
volume  by  Dr.  Kane,  the  observer  and  historian  of  the  party.  He,  him- 
self, meanwhile,  had  acquired  opinions  of  his  own  upon  the  subject  of 
Franklin's  discovery,  and  the  existence  of  an  open  Polar  Sea.  This  opinion 
was  merely  a  confirmation  of  his  previous  judgment,  although  hitherto 
unannounced.  The  extensiveness  of  his  previous  researches  being  well 
known,  he  was  invited  upon  his  return,  to  deliver  a  lecture  before  the 
American  Geographical  Society,  announcing  his  views  and  the  grounds 
for  them.  He  referred  in  his  lecture  to  the  fact  now  generally  known, 
that  the  pole  of  maximum  cold  is  not  identical  with  the  North  Pole.  He 
showed  that  there  are  two  poles  of  extreme  cold,  one  for  each  hemi- 
sphere,— one  in  Asia  and  the  other  in  America;  and  that  each  is  on  the 
Soth  parallel.  He  further  observed  that  the  mean  temperature  of  the 
American  Pole  is  several  degrees  lower  than  that  of  the  Asiatic  Pole — 
being  3^°. 

Extended  thought  and  observation  had  led  him  to  believe  that  about 
this  pole  was  an  annulus,  as  it  were,  or  ring  of  land,  of  comparatively 
mild  temperature,  surrounding  an  open  polar  sea,  which  presumably  cov- 
ered the  northern  terminus  of  the  earth's  axis.  This  opinion,  shared  also 
by  other  eminent  men,  was  founded  upon  several  significant  facts,  among 
which  was  that  just  mentioned,  of  the  poles  of  maximum  cold,  600  miles 
south  of  the  North  Pole.  Again,  to  the  north  of  the  furthest  point  of 
penetration  had  been  seen  abundant  "  frost  smoke,"  always  indicative  of 

489 


490  JNS  TR  UC  TIONS. 

a  milder  climate,  and  highly  suggestive  of  open  water.  Besides  this,  it 
had  been  remarked  both  by  Lieut.  De  Haven  and  many  others  that,  as 
the  North  Pole  was  approached,  the  evidences  of  animal  life  increased. 
This,  again,  suggested  vegetable  life  as  the  ultimate  means  of  subsistence. 
Certain  facts  regarding  the  currents  and  winds  as  observed  by  Lieut. 
DeHaven,  were  pertinent  to  the  subject  in  hand.  He  announced  further  as 
his  opinion  that  Franklin  had  sought  and  found  this  supposed  open  polar 
sea,  and  that,  if  found  dead  or  alive,  it  would  probably  be  upon  the  limits 
of  this  hitherto  undiscovered  water. 

Whether  the  views  of  Kane  upon  these  subjects  were  coincided  with 
or  not,  he  was  seen  by  all  who  heard  and  knew  him  to  be  a  person  emi- 
nently fitted  to  conduct  an  expedition  to  the  Arctic  regions,  whether  for 
the  purpose  of  finding  Sir  John  Franklin  or  for  purposes  of  scientific  in- 
vestigation. He  possessed  skill,  bravery,  experience,  and  great  scientific 
knowledge,  all  of  which  were  qualities  essential  in  the  trying  scenes  im- 
plied in  an  Arctic  voyage. 

Accordingly,  in  December,  1852,  Dr.  Kane  received  the  following 
formal  message  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy : 

"  Nov.  27,  1852. 

SIR: — Lady  Franklin  having  urged  you  to  undertake  a  search  for  her  husband  and 
his  companions,  and  a  vessel,  the  Advance,  having  been  placed  at  your  disposition  by 
Mr.  Grinnell,  you  are  hereby  assigned  to  special  duty,  for  the  purpose  of  conducting 
an  overland  journey  from  the  upper  waters  of  Baffin's  Bay  to  the  shores  of  the  Polar 
seas. 

"  Relying  upon  your  zeal  and  discretion,  the  Department  sends  you  forth  upon  an 
undertaking  which  will  be  attended  with  great  peril  and  exposure.  Trusting  that  you 
will  be  sustained  by  the  laudable  object  in  view,  and  wishing  you  success  and  a  safe 
return  to  your  friends,  I  am  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

"JOHN  P.  KENNEDY 

He  was  also  formally  directed  to  give  his  "  attention  to  scientific  in- 
quiry;" and  "to  transmit  to  the  Department  when  opportunities  afforded, 
reports  of  his  progress,  and  the  results  of  the  search."  To  the  enter- 
prise in  hand  contributions  were  also  received  from  Mr.  George  Pea- 
body,  noted  for  his  generosity  to  the  London  poor.  Various  scientific 
institutions  aided  in  furnishing  the  expedition  with  suitable  instruments 


PLAN    OUTLINED.  491 

and  other  articles  useful  for  the  expedition.  Ten  officers  and  men  were 
detailed  by  the  United  States  Government  to  accompany  the  party,  and 
these,  with  seven  others  specially  chosen  for  the  occasion,  completed  the 
ship's  crew.  They  were  not  under  the  laws  which  govern  the  United 
States  Navy,  but  they  had  excellent  rules  and  regulations,  which  were 
rigidly  adhered  to  throughout  all  the  exigencies  of  the  journey.  These 
were,  mainly,  to  be  in  complete  subordination  to  the  officer  in  command 
or  his  representative;  to  use  spirituous  liquors  only  when  dispensed  by 
the  special  order  of  the  commanding  officer;  and  to  abstain  habitually 
from  profane  language. 

Kane's  plan  had  been  outlined  in  his  address  before  the  American 
Geographical  Society ;  and  was  based  upon  the  theory  that  the  northern 
part  of  Greenland  probably  formed  part  of  the  annulus  which  has  been 
spoken  of  as  theoretically  surrounding  the  Pole.  His  general  plan,  then, 
was  to  pass  up  Baffin's  Bay  to  the  highest  attainable  point,  and  then 
pressing  on  toward  the  Pole  as  far  as  boats  or  sledges  could  carry  them, 
examine  the  coast  line  for  vestiges  of  the  missing  party.  It  was  with 
reference  to  this  plan  that  their  simple  equipment  was  chosen.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  quantity  of  rough  boards  to  serve  for  housing  over  the  vessel 
during  the  winter,  a  few  small  tents,  and  several  carefully  built  sledges. 

Leaving  New  York  on  the  3Oth  of  May,  18^3,  the  ship,  in  eighteen 
days,  had  reached  Newfoundland,  where  they  received  a  team  of  large 
dogs  from  the  governor  of  the  province ;  and  proceeding,  without  inci- 
dent reached  the  harbor  of  Fiskerna^s,  on  the  coast  of  Greenland,  July 
12.  Here,  understanding  that  both  the  party  and  the  dogs  would  re- 
quire fresh  meat,  and  knowing  that  a  skilled  hand  for  this  service  would 
be  necessary,  an  Esquimaux  boy  of  nineteen,  named  Hans  Christian, 
was  secured  for  trifling  wages,  and  a  premium  of  bread  and  meat  for  his 
mother.  This  boy  became  very  useful  to  the  party,  both  as  caterer  to 
the  dogs,  and  as  it  came  to  pass,  to  the  party  also.  Thus  the  expedition 
proceeded  up  the  coast,  stopping,  as  a  matter  of  course,  at  the  various 
ports,  Proven,  Lievely,  and  Upernavik,  to  procure  dogs  and  clothing, 
and  establish  a  friendly  feeling  among  the  natives  and  resident  Danes. 
Going  on  among  the  dangerous  fogs  and  shoals,  Melville  Bay  was 


402  A    GALE. 

reached,  and  preparations  were  made  to  strike  out  to  the  northward  and 
Smith's  Sound. 

After  entering  Smith's  Sound  Kane  deposited  several  caches  and 
erected  several  cairns  for  the  double  purpose  of  supplying  them  with 
food  if  obliged  to  traverse  that  way  again,  and  of  guiding  any  who 
might  follow  on  their  track.  Throughout  all  the  journey  up  this  pas- 
sage the  brig  was  in  the  most  imminent  peril.  On  one  occasion  the  vessel 
was  moored  to  an  iceberg  for  the  night,  and  was  supposed  to  be  in  a  po- 
sition of  safety,  when  suddenly  the  water  about  them  began  to  be  cov- 
ered with  pieces  of  ice  as  large  as  a  walnut,  and  larger.  There  was 
barely  time  to  put  off  from  the  berg  before  it  fell  to  atoms  with  a  crash, 
lashing  the  ocean  into  foam  for  many  yards  about.  Thus  capricious  did 
they  find  the  ice  of  Smith's  Sound. 

Working  their  way  up  with  difficulty,  they  had  reached,  on  August 
19,  the  extreme  latitude  of  78°.  Here  an  event  occurred  which  modi- 
fied effectually  their  whole  future  journey.  Indications  of  a  gale  ap- 
proaching induced  the  commander  to  moor  the  ship  as  securely  as  possi- 
ble, and  await  the  result.  Three  strong  cables  were  employed  in  this 
service,  and  it  was  hoped  that  by  thus  apparently  fastening,  danger  or 
disaster,  at  least,  might  be  averted.  The  gale  arose,  until  the  second  day 
the  straining  of  the  cables  was  intense.  The  six-inch  hawser,  the  whale- 
line,  and  the  ten-inch  manila  successively  parted,  with  reports  like 
musketry,  leaving  the  vessel  and  her  imperiled  crew  to  the  mercy  of  the 
wind  and  the  floating  ice.  For  reasons  given  before,  and  sufficiently 
obvious,  we  quote  the  scene  in  Dr.  Kane's  own  graphic  language: 

"  Ahead  of  us,  farther  to  the  north,  we  could  see  the  strait  still  grow- 
ing narrower,  and  the  heavy  ice-tables  grinding  up  and  clogging  it  be- 
tween the  shore-cliffs  on  one  side  and  the  ledge  on  the  other.  There 
was  but  one  thing  left  for  us:  To  keep  in  some  sort  the  command  of  the 
helm,  by  going  freely  where  we  must  otherwise  be  driven.  We  allowed 
her  to  scud  under  a  reefed  fore  topsail;  all  hands  waiting  the  enemy,  as 
we  closed,  in  silence. 

"  At  seven  in  the  morning  we  were  close  onto  the  piling  masses. 
We  dropped  the  heaviest  anchor  with  the  desperate  hope  of  winding 


SAVED    BY   AN  ICEBERG  493 

the  brig;  but  there  was  no  withstanding  the  ice  torrent  which  followed 
us.  We  had  only  time  to  fasten  a  spar  as  a  buoy  to  the  chain,  and  let 
her  slip.  So  went  our  best  bower. 

"  Down  we  went  upon  the  gale  again,  helplessly  scraping  along  a  lee 
of  ice  seldom  less  than  thirty  feet  thick;  one  floe  measured,  by  a  line  as 
we  tried  to  fasten  to  it,  more  than  forty.  I  had  seen  such  ice  only  once 
before,  and  never  in  such  rapid  motion.  One  upturned  mass  rose  above 
our  gunwale,  smashing  in  our  bulwarks,  and  depositing  half  a  ton  in  a 
lump  upon  our  decks.  Our  little  brig  bore  herself,  through  all  this  wild 
adventure,  as  if  she  had  a  charmed  life. 

"  But  a  new  enemy  came  in  sight.  Directly  in  our  way,  just  beyond 
the  line  of  floe-ice  against  which  we  were  alternately  sliding  and 
thumping,  was  a  group  of  huge  bergs.  We  had  no  power  to  avoid  them; 
the  only  question  was  whether  we  were  to  be  dashed  in  pieces  against 
them,  or  whether  they  might  not  offer  us  some  protection  from  the  storm. 
But  as  we  neared  them  we  perceived  that  they  were  at  some  distance 
from  the  floe's  edge,  and  separated  from  it  by  an  interval  of  floe  water. 
Our  hopes  rose,  and  the  gale  drove  us  toward  the  passage  and  into  it; 
and  we  were  ready  to  exult,  when,  from  some  unexplained  cause,  proba- 
bly from  an  eddy  of  the  wind  against  the  lofty  ice  walls,  we  lost  our 
headway.  Almost  at  the  same  moment  we  saw  that  the  bergs  were  not 
at  rest;  that,  with  a  momentum  of  their  own,  they  were  bearing  down 
upon  the  other  ice,  and  that  we  were  fated  to  be  crushed  between  the 
two. 

"Just  then  a  broad  sconcepiece,  or  low,  water-washed  berg,  came 
driving  up  from  the  southward.  The  thought  flashed  upon  me  of  one  of 
our  escapes  in  Melville  Bay;  and  as  the  sconce  moved  rapidly  alongside 
of  us,  McGary  managed  to  plant  an  anchor  on  its  slope,  and  hold  onto 
it  by  a  whale  line.  It  was  an  anxious  moment.  Our  noble  tow-horse, 
whiter  than  the  pale  horse  that  seemed  to  be  pursuing  us,  hauled  us 
bravely  on,  the  spray  dashing  over  his  windward  flanks,  and  his  fore- 
head tearing  up  the  lesser  ice  as  if  in  scorn.  The  bergs  encroached  upon 
us  as  we  advanced ;  our  channel  narrowed  to  a  width  of  perhaps  forty 
feet;  we  braced  the  yards  to  clear  the  impending  ice  wall.  * 


494 


HEROIC    CONDUCT. 


We  passed  clear,  but  it  was  a  close  shave — so  close  that  our  port  water 
boat  would  have  been  crushed  had  we  not  taken  it  from  the  davits — and 
found  ourselves  under  the  lee  of  a  berg  in  a  comparatively  open  lead. 
Never  did  heart-tried  men  acknowledge  with  more  gratitude  their  mer- 
ciful deliverance  from  a  wretched  death." 

Thus  the  narrative  continues;  a  long  and  thrilling  account  of  narrow 
escapes  from  being  crushed  in  the  mountains  of  ice.  Kane  goes  on  : 

"  During  the  whole  of  the  scenes  I  have  been  describing,  I  could  not 
help  being  struck  by  the  composed  and  manly  demeanor  of  my  comrades. 
The  turmoil  of  ice  under  a  heavy  sea  often  conveys  the  impression  of  dan- 


SMITH'S  SOUND. 

ger  when  the  reality  is  absent;  but  in  this  fearful  passage,  the  parting  of 
our  hawsers,  the  loss  of  our  anchors,  the  abrupt  crushing  of  our  stoven- 
bulwarks,  and  the  actual  deposit  of  ice  upon  our  decks,  would  have  tried 
the  nerves  of  the  most  experienced  ice  man." 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  during  all  this  terrific  scene  no  efforts 
were  put  forth  by  the  men  to  anchor  the  brig  and  avert  the  hazard  of  the 
perilous  ice-strait.  Repeated  efforts  were  made  to  grapple  the  passing 
ice-blocks,  and  in  such  efforts  four  of  the  crew  became  separated  from  the 
brig  and  had  to  be  rescued  in1  a  boat  after  the  gale  subsided.  Mr.  Bon- 
sail,  one  of  the  ice-masters,  avoided  being  crushed  by  a  perilous  leap  to  a 
floating  fragment,  and  like  intrepidity  was  exhibited  on  all  hands. 


TRACKING.  495 

The  gallant  little  brig,  however,  was  not  yet  out  of  danger.  The  im- 
mense accumulations  of  ice  about  her,  borne  on  to  the  north  by  the  rising 
gale,  began,  to  the  horror  of  the  crew,  to  force  her  square  over  the  berg 
in  whose  lee  she  had  landed.  As  she  rose  slowly  on  its  rugged  surface, 
impelled  by  the  tremendous  momentum  of  the  moving  floe  behind,  the 
suspense  as  to  the  result  became  oppressive.  Sometimes  a  shock  more 
sudden  and  severe  than  the  rest  would  turn  her  on  her  side,  and  threaten 
to  precipitate  crew  and  all  into  the  seething  chaos  of  ice  and  water.  As 
she  descended  its  windward  slope  and  quietly  took  her  place  among  the 
broken  rubbish,  the  excitement  of  the  crew  was  marked  by  silence  rather 
than  exclamations;  they  were  too  thankful  to  speak. 

It  was  not  till  the  2 3d  of  August  that  this  terrible  storm  abated  suffi- 
ciently to  end  the  period  of  inaction  consequent  upon  the  adventures  just 
described.  As  soon  as  possible,  however,  all  hands  took  hold  of  the  tow- 
line  and  "  harnessed  like  mules  on  a  canal,"  proceeded  by  "  tracking  "  to 
drag  the  vessel  toward  a  place  of  supposed  safety.  After  proceeding  in 
this  way  for  some  miles,  a  point  was  reached  where  at  least  temporary 
security  could  be  relied  on,  and  the  commander  and  officers  were  enabled 
to  look  about  them  and  plan  for  the  future. 

They  had  now  attained  a  latitude  of  nearly  79°,  being  further  north 
than  any  of  their  predecessors  except  Parry,  in  his  tramp  on  foot  on  the 
island  of  Spitzbergen.  This  element  of  success  at  least,  was  theirs. 

The  bold  commander  was  hardly  satisfied  to  pass  the  winter  without 
first  attaining  a  more  northern  point,  but  young  ice  was  forming;  snow- 
storms were  becoming  frequent;  the  growing  severity  of  the  weather, 
added  to  what  they  had  already  passed  through,  was  beginning  to  tell  in 
ts  depressing  effect  upon  officers  and  crew.  A  generous  regard  for  the 
feelings  and  opinions  of  his  officers  led  Kane  to  consult  with  them  upon 
the  question  of  their  future  action.  All,  with  one  exception,  were  of 
opinion  that  all  attempts  to  secure  a  more  northern  position  were  unwise 
and  useless.  Dr.  Kane,  however,  urged  upon  them  the  necessity  of 
making  a  point  from  which  it  would  be  convenient  at  least  to  dispatch 
sledging  parties,  and  proposed  to  proceed  by  warping,  until  such  a  place 
could  be  arrived  at.  To  this  all  agreed,  and  entered  heartily  into  the 


496 


THE  FORLORN  HOPE. 


work  of  conveying  the  vessel  to  a  desirable  harbor,  After  making  a 
few  miles  by  availing  themselves  of  wind  and  tide  and  lever,  a  bay  was 
reached.  Here  Dr.  Kane  determined  to  leave  the  vessel  until  he  should 
explore  the  northern  region  in  a  boat  and  determine  the  practicability  of 
further  advance  with  their  well-tried  brig.  Fitting  out  a  boat  with  the 
suggestive  name  of  the  Forlorn  Hope,  the  commander,  with  seven 
trusty  and  able  men,  started  on  the  29th  on  their  tour  of  investigation. 


ARCTIC  AQUATICS. 


CHAPTER   LVI. 

KANE    LEADS    A    BOAT    AND     SLEDGE     EXPEDITION  A    GREENLAND 

RIVER THE  EIGHTIETH  PARALLEL "THE  SAME  ICE  SURROUNDS 

HER  STILL" — PREPARATIONS  FOR  WINTER — A  CACHE  PARTY — 
ACCIDENTS  AT  THE  BRIG DIFFICULTIES  OF  ARCTIC  OBSERVA- 
TION  HANS,  THE  HUNTER RETURN  OF  A  WARM  FRIEND 

A    PRELIMINARY    SURVEY AN    UNEXPECTED    RETURN  KANE 

SAVES  THE  PARTY. 

Passing  on  through  the  narrow  strait  opening  in  front  of  them,  the 
little  party  was  able  by  breaking  the  young  ice  which  kept  constantly 
forming,  to  make  about  seven  miles  on  the  first  day.  Cold  and  wet  from 
the  necessities  of  this  doubtful  navigation,  night  was  eagerly  welcomed. 
Twenty-four  hours'  absence  from  the  ship  brought  them  to  the  end  of 
their  boating.  The  ice-pack  had  closed  with  the  belt,  and  was  thus  on 
one  side  and  in  front  of  them,  while  on  the  other  side  was  the  ice- 
girt  shore.  Advance  with  the  boat  was  impossible.  The  carefully 
packed  sledge  was  therefore  taken  out  and  set  up,  and  the  boat  snugly 
stowed  away  in  a  convenient  gorge.  The  sledge  was  now  laden  with 
a  few  necessaries,  and  the  march  again  proceeded.  Interesting  notes 
were  taken  of  the  topography  and  glacial  appearance  of  the  rugged  re- 
gion over  which  their  path  lay,  and  many  an  amusing  and  exciting  inci- 
dent served  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  the  journey.  Its  difficulty  may 
be  conceived  from  the  fact  that  five  days'  absence  only  found  them  forty 
miles  from  the  brig.  The  tortuous  course  which  it  was  necessary  to 
pursue  with  the  sledge  was  a  great  drawback  to  the  commander  in  his 
haste  to  make  latitude,  and  he  determined  to  leave  the  sledge  and  pro- 
ceed on  foot.  The  undesirable  feature  of  this  method  was,  that  not 
enough  food  could  be  carried.  The  average  weight  of  the  men's  burden 

was  thirty-five  pounds,  including  a  quantity  of  pemmican  and  one  buffalo 

497 


498 


A   GREENLAND   RIVER. 


robe  apiece,  and  even  this  was  found  to  weigh  them  down.  It  was 
found,  however,  that  greater  progress  could  be  made  in  this  way  than 
with  the  whole  outfit,  and  one  day  they  succeeded  in  making  twenty-four 
miles. 

A  river  was  at  last  reached  which  emptied  into  a  large  bay,  and  was 
presumed  by  Kane  to  be  the  largest  river  of  North  Greenland. 

"  Here, "  says  Kane,  "protected  from  the  frost  by  the  infiltration  of 
the  melted  snows,  and  fostered  by  the  reverberations  of  solar  heat  from 
the  rocks,  we  met  a  flower-growth,  which,  though  drearily  Arctic  in  its 


GLACIEK   SEEN   BY   RANK. 


type,  was  rich  in  variety  and  coloring.  Amid  festuca  and  other  tufted 
grasses  twinkled  the  purple  lychnis  and  the  white  star  of  the  chick- 
weed,  and  not  without  its  pleasing  associations,  I  recognized  a  single 
hesperis,  the  Arctic  representative  of  the  wall-flowers  of  home." 

After  reaching  a  rocky  headland  which  overlooked  a  wide  expanse 
extending  far  beyond  the  Soth  parallel,  this  was  made  the  final  point  of 
reconnoissance,  and  the  party  proceeded  back  to  the  brig.  Kane  an- 
nounced to  the  waiting  men  that  he  had  discovered  no  spot  better  suited 
for  winter  quarters  than  the  bay  in  which  the  brig  was  now  anchored, 


AN  ARCTIC   OBSERVATORY.  499 

and  gave  instructions  to  tow  her  between  two  small  islands.  Here,  then, 
she  was  anchored  amidst  the  ice;  destined  to  be  her  resting  place  for  a 
long  time  indeed,  for  "the  same  ice  surrounds  her  still." 

The  little  party  in  Rensselaer  Harbor,  as  their  retreat  was  called, 
now  found  winter  rapidly  approaching.  The  old  ice  was  soon  so  firmly 
cemented  in  the  bay  by  that  which  was  newly  formed,  that  it  would 
bear  sledging  parties  which  coasted  out  around  the  brig  from  time  to 
time.  Much  was  to  be  done,  and  done  at  once;  for  the  sun  could  not  be 
depended  on  much  longer.  The  mountain  range  to  the  south  would  ob- 
scure him  two  weeks  before  his  regular  time  for  disappearance.  The 
hold  was  to  be  unloaded  of  its  supplies,  which  were  to  be  placed  in  the 
storehouse  upon  Butler's  Island.  This  was  done  by  means  of  loaded 
boats,  through  a  channel  which  must  be  recut  every  morning.  A  com- 
fortable kennel  must  be  erected  for  the  canine  rabble,  which,  however, 
would  not  occupy  it.  Wild  as  they  were,  they  preferred  to  sleep  on  the 
snow  in  calling  distance  of  the  men.  A  deck-housing  had  to  be  planned 
and  built,  care  being  taken  to  make  as  warm  as  possible  their  winter  resi- 
dence. An  observatory  was  constructed  of  stone,  which  the  men  hauled 
across  the  ice  on  sledges.  There  remained,  moreover,  to  plan  and  estab- 
lish provision  depots  for  the  convenience  and  safety  of  exploring  parties 
as  they  should  now  and  then  be  sent  into  the  interior.  The  food  to  be 
deposited  in  these  places  was  chiefly  pemmican,  and  as  little  or  no  game 
had  been  seen  in  Smith's  Sound,  it  was  necessary  to  freshen  their  salt 
provisions,  which,  in  their  isolated  condition  and  tendency  to  scorbutic 
disease,  it  would  not  do  to  use.  Accordingly,  a  fresh  water  lake  having 
been  found  in  the  interior  of  one  of  the  islands,  poles  of  the  meat  sus- 
pended by  strings  were  brought  successively  to  receive  the  freshening 
baptism.  The  instruments,  also,  must  be  placed  and  adjusted.  The 
magnetic  observatory  was  duly  equipped  with  its  magnetometer  and  dip 
instruments.  The  transit  and  telescope  were  adjusted  in  the  observatory 
proper.  The  tide  gauge  was  upon  the  'brig  itself,  and  the  meteorolog- 
ical observatory  was  placed  in  the  open  field,  duly  protected.  So  sensi- 
tive were  some  of  the  thermometers,  that  when  they  imlicated  40°  or  50° 
below  zero,  the  mere  approach  of  au  observer  would  cause  a  change. 


500  RAVAGES   OF  BEARS. 

One  of  them  could  be  read  to  the  tenth  of  a  degree.  So  the  prepara- 
tions for  the  winter's  observations  went  on,  as  the  sun  in  his  daily  cir- 
cuit sank  lower  and  lower. 

In  the  meantime,  a  depot  party  had  been  sent  out,  with  several  hun- 
dred pounds  of  pemmican  to  deposit  in  three  places.  This  party  de- 
parted on  the  zoth  of  September,  and  did  not  return  for  twenty-eight 
days.  During  their  absence  several  curious  and  nearly  dangerous  inci- 
dents occurred  to  the  little  party  remaining  at  the  brig.  For  some  time 
the  hold  had  been  seriously  troubled  with  rats.  An  attempt  to  burn 
them  out  with  a  delectable  compound  of  brimstone,  arsenic  and  burnt 
leather  had  failed,  and  it  was  determined  to  asphyxiate  them  with  car- 
bonic acid  gas.  A  quantity  of  charcoal  was  burned  below,  and  the 
hatches  securely  closed.  The  cook  with  unfortunate  temerity  stole  below 
to  attend  to  cuisine  duties,  and  was  hauled  forth  from  the  deadly  element 
more  dead  than  alive.  About  the  same  time,  Dr.  Kane,  suspecting  that 
something  below  was  on  fire,  went  down,  and  he,  too,  was  forcibly  ex- 
tricated from  death  by  suffocation.  The  fire  proved  to  be  on  the  deck, 
and  was  only  quenched  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  Several  days  after  a 
dog  was  observed  to  have  symptoms  of  hydrophobia,  and  was  quickly 
dispatched  by  a  rifle.  This  circumstance  suggested  a  horrible  danger  not 
before  thought  of. 

On  the  iSth  of  October  the  exploring  party  returned  and  gave  a  full 
report  of  their  proceedings.  They  had  with  great  pains,  and  often  with 
great  difficulty,  executed  the  commission  upon  which  they  had  been  sent. 
Their  chief  care  was  to  leave  the  provisions  in  suitable  places,  and  to 
secure  them  from  the  invasions  of  the  polar  bear,  which  is  very  pene- 
trating and  sagacious,  and  generally  destroys  what  stores  of  this  kind  he 
does  not  consume.  In  spite  of  their  care  in  this  regard,  they  found  on 
returning  along  their  track  that  one  of  their  caches  'was  almost  com- 
pletely demolished.  They  had  been  wet  to  the  skin,  and  exposed  to  the 
greatest  peril  from  cracking  glaciers,  and  from  the  extreme  cold. 

The  sun  at  last  disappeared,  and  the  intense  cold  of  an  Arctic  winter 
came  on.  Some  of  the  problems  and  difficulties  presenting  themselves 
in  this  frigid  solitude,  are  thus  shadowed  by  Kane:  "Fireside  astronomers 


501 


502  INTENSE  COLD. 

can  hardly  realize  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  observations  at  such  low 
temperatures.  The  mere  burning  of  the  hand  from  frost  is  obviated  by 
covering  the  metal  with  chamois-skin,  but  the  breath  and  even  the 
warmth  of  the  face  and  body,  cover  the  sextant  arc  and  glasses  with  a 
fine  hoar  frost.  Though  I  had  much  clear  weather,  I  barely  succeeded 
by  magnifiers  in  reading  the  verniers.  It  is,  moreover,  an  unusual  feat 
to  measure  a  base-line  in  the  snow  at  fifty  degrees  below  freezing. 

"  The  great  difficulty  is  to  keep  up  a  cheery  tone  among  the  men. 
Poor  Hans  has  been  sorely  homesick.  Three  days  ago  he  bundled  up 
his  clothes  and  took  his  rifle  to  bid  us  all  good-bye.  It  turns  out  that 
besides  his  mother  there  is  another  one  of  the  softer  sex  at  Fiskernses 
that  the  boy's  heart  is  dreaming  of.  He  looked  as  wretched  as  any  lover 
of  a  milder  clime.  I  hope  I  have  treated  his  nostalgia  successfully,  by 
giving  him  first  a  dose  of  salts,  and  secondly,  promotion.  He  now  has 
all  the  dignity  of  henchman.  He  harnesses  1113'  dogs,  builds  my  traps, 
and  walks  with  me  on  my  ice-tramps;  and,  except  hunting,  is  excused 
from  all  other  duty.  He  is  really  attached  to  me,  and  as  happy  as  a  fat 
man  ought  to  be." 

The  reader  would  not  care  for  the  details  of  this  somewhat  monotonous 
night  and  winter.  The  most  striking  feature  was  the  unexampled  cold 
which  was  experienced  about  the  ist  of  February.  The  spirit  ther- 
mometers indicated  a  temperature  of  67°  below  zero,  or  99°  below  the 
freezing  point.  "  Spirit  of  naphtha  froze  at — 54°,  and  oil  of  sassafras  at 
— 49°.  The  oil  of  wintergreen  was  in  a  flocculent  state  at — 56°,  and 
solid  at — 63°  and — 65°."  Every  expedient  was  tried  that  could  be 
thought  of  to  relieve  the  dreary  desolateness  of  the  scene.  Checkers, 
chess,  cards,  and  other  games  were  introduced,  and  served  for  a  time  to 
enable  the  crew  to  forget  their  unpleasant  surroundings.  An  Arctic 
newspaper  was  projected  and  successfully  managed,  some  of  the  best 
articles  being  from  the  forecastle.  The  vignette  of  this  novel  journal 
was  a  picture  of  a  ship  fast  in  the  ice,  and  its  motto :  "/«  tcnebris  servare 
fidem." 

But  the  longest  night  has  an  end.  The  sun  gave  promise  of  his 
coming  by  crimson  bands  shooting  up  from  the  horizon,  and  growing  in 


RETURN  OF  S LEDGERS.  503 

brightness  and  magnitude  with  each  successive  day.  February  brought 
them  momentary  glimpses  of  his  glory,  and  March  gave  them  day  itself 
— a  long  needed  tonic.  "  It  was,"  says  Kane,  "  like  bathing  in  perfumed 
water."  The  ambitious  leader  began  to  prepare  for  an  extended  trip  on 
sledges  to  the  north  and  east.  Of  his  fine  stock  of  Newfoundland  and 
Esquimaux  dogs,  only  six  remained;  the  excessive  cold  and  the  absence  of 
light  had  brought  on  melancholia  and  inaction,  which,  without  the  mental 
stimulants  with  which  men  are  wont  to  overcome  their  complaints, 
quickly  overcame  them.  But  a  new  sledge  was  built,  suited  more  fully 
to  the  capabilities  of  that  portion  of  the  faithful  pack  which  remained 
The  coming  of  the  sun  was  not  attended  at  first  with  an  increase  of 
temperature.  Throughout  March  and  later  the  thermometer  indicated 
— 40°,  making  travel  abroad  dangerous  to  the  inexperienced  in  Arctic 
weather.  But  Dr.  Kane  felt  that  he  had  not  yet  accomplished  his  pur- 
pose, and  he  was  anxious  with  that  anxiety  which  ever  characterizes  the 
true  scientist,  to  extend  his  observations.  A  party  for  preliminary  search 
was,  with  some  difficulty,  organized  and  sent  out.  This  party  was  to  be 
supplemented  after  a  time  by  the  exploring  party  itself,  which  was  to 
include  Dr.  Kane,  and  was  intended  to  make  important  additions  to  the 
already  rich  results  of  the  expedition. 

The  preliminary  party  had  been  absent  eleven  days,  and  preparations 
were  nearly  complete  to  follow  it,  when  an  event  occurred  which  gave 
an  unexpected  color  to  their  projected  expedition. 

"  We  were  at  work  cheerfully  sewing  away  at  the  skins  of  some  moc- 
casins by  the  blaze  of  our  lamp,  when,  toward  midnight,  we  heard  the 
noise  of  steps  above,  and  the  next  instant  Sontag,  Ohlsen  and  Petersen 
came  down  into  the  cabin.  Their  manner  startled  me  even  more  than 
their  unexpected  appearance  on  board.  They  were  swollen,  haggard,  and 
scarcely  able  to  speak. 

"  Their  story  was  a  fearful  one.  They  had  left  their  companions  in 
the  ice,  risking  their  own  lives  to  bring  us  the  news.  Brooks,  Baker, 
Wilson,  and  Pierce,  were  all  lying  frozen  and  disabled ;  where,  they 
could  not  tell.  Somewhere  in  among  the  hummocks,  to  the  north  and 
east.  It  was  drifting  heavily  around  them  when  they  parted.  Irish  Tom 


504  RESCUE   OF   THE  PARTY. 

had  staid  by  to  feed  and  care  for  the  rest,  but  the  chances  were  sorely 
against  them.  It  was  vain  to  question  them  further.  They  had  evi- 
dently traveled  a  great  distance,  for  they  were  sinking  with  fatigue  and 
hunger,  and  could  hardly  be  rallied  enough  to  tell  the  direction  in  which 
they  had  come." 

Here,  as  usual,  Kane's  kindness,  promptness,  and  executive  ability  was 
interposed,  and  saved  the  party.  A  sledge  was  made  ready,  Ohlsen  placed 
upon  it  securely  wrapped  in  furs,  and  an  immediate  departure  made.  The 
temperature  was  76°  degrees  below  freezing.  For  sixteen  hours  they 
struggled  on  to  a  place  acknowledged  by  Ohlsen  to  be  unfamiliar  to  him. 
Kane  continues:  "  Rushing  ahead  of  the  party,  and  clambering  over 
some.rugged  ice-piles,  I  came  to  a  long  level  floe,  which  I  thought  might 
have  attracted  the  eyes  of  weary  men  in  circumstances  like  our  own.  It 
was  a  light  conjecture,  but  it  was  enough  to  turn  the  scale,  for  there  was 
nothing  else,  to  balance  it. 

"  I  gave  orders  to  abandon  the  sledge  and  disperse  in  search  of  foot- 
marks. We  raised  our  tent;  placed  our  pemmican  in  cache,  except  a 
small  allowance  for  each  man  to  carry  on  his  person,  and  poor  Ohlsen, 
now  just  able  to  keep  his  feet,  was  liberated  from  his  bag."  Halt  was 
impossible,  as,  with  the  thermometer  at  80°  below  freezing  it  required 
brisk  exertion  to  keep  from  perishing.  The  men  were  ordered  to  spread 
out  so  as  to  multiply  the  chances  of  discovery,  but  kept  nervously  clos- 
ing upas  if  in  fear  even  of  so  much  solitude.  Several  were  seized  with 
severe  trembling  fits,  and  Dr.  Kane  fainted  twice  from  the  effect  of  the 
exposure.  Finally,  after  an  unbroken  inarch  of  twenty-one  hours  a  tent 
was  discovered  which  proved  to  be  that  of  their  unfortunate  comrades. 
The  welcome  which  greeted  the  rescuing  party  nearly  overcame  the 
stoutest  heart  of  them  all. 

The  tent,  the  sick,  and  all  that  could  be  carried,  was  loaded  on  to  the 
sledge,  and  preparations  made  to  depart  for  the  brig.  The  load,  when 
complete,  weighed  eleven  hundred  pounds. 

The  journey  homeward  was  made  amicl  the  most  fearful  suffering 
that  can  be  described.  The  "sleepy  comfort"  of  freezing  which  had  hith- 
erto been  treated  as  a  mere  sentiment  by  most  of  the  men,  was  now  real- 


DEATH  OF  THE  SUFFERERS.  505 

ized  in  good  earnest.  The  strongest  men  came  to  Kane  asking  permis- 
sion to  sleep.  "They  were  not  cold  now;  only  tired  and  sleepy."  Kane 
tried  the  result  of  three-minute  naps  by  turns,  and  thought  the  expedient 
upon  the  whole  useful.  The  Doctor  and  a  single  man  went  on  ahead  to 
the  tent  and  cache  left  the  day  before,  in  order  to  prepare  some  hot  food 
for  the  rest. 

"  I  cannot  tell, "  says  Kane,  "how  long  it  took  us  to  make  the  nine 
miles,  for  we  were  in  a  strange  sort  of  stupor,  and  had  little  apprehen- 
sion of  time.  It  was  probably  about  four  hours.  We  kept  ourselves 
awake  by  imposing  on  each  other  a  continued  articulation  of  words. 
They  must  have  been  incoherent  enough!  I  recall  these  hours  as  among 
the  most  wretched  I  have  ever  gone  through." 

The  brig  was  at  last  reached,  most  of  the  men  being  in  a  half-deliri- 
ous state,  and  having  a  confused  recollection  of  what  had  taken  place. 
In  spite  of  the  prompt  and  efficacious  treatment  by  Dr.  Hayes,  the  limbs 
of  several  of  the  party  had  to  be  amputated,  and  two  sufferers  died.  It 
was  four  days  before  Dr.  Kane  was  able  once  more  to  record  passing 
events,  and  perform  the  other  functions  of  his  office. 


DOG-SHOE. 


CHAPTER    LVII. 

VISIT    FROM    ESQUIMAUX NATIVE    DISHONESTY A    JOURNEY   TO  HUM- 

BOLDT    GLACIER TENNYSON'S     MONUMENT KANE'S    STRENGTH 

FAILS MORAL    POWER    OF    KANE HAYES'    EXPEDITION MORTON 

DISCOVERS    AN    ALLEGED    POLAR    SEA. 

Within  a  week  after  the  return  of  the  unfortunate  party  described  in 
our  last  chapter,  the  brig  was  favored  by  a  visit  from  Esquimaux — the 
first  yet  met  in  this  exti'eme  latitude.  Almost  before  the  ship's  company 
were  aware  of  it,  they  were  surrounded  by  a  swarthy  crowd  conveyed 
thither  on  peculiar  looking  sledges  drawn  by  handsome  dogs.  Picket- 
ing their  teams  by  means  of  their  lances,  they  were  ready  to  treat  with 
the  commander.  Dr.  Kane  singled  out  a  burly  looking  fellow  a  head 
taller  than  himself,  and  made  motions  for  him  to  come  forward.  At  first 
only  this  one  was  allowed  to  come  on  board,  but  at  last  he  was  permitted, 
to  signal  the  rest.  These  were  hospitably  received,  and  a  feast  was 
spread  before  them.  As  food,  however,  they  preferred  gorging  them- 
selves on  walrus- meat  rather  than  eating  the  good,  wheaten  bread  and 
loaf  sugar  which  were  set  before  them  in  abundance.  Many  things  on 
board  the  ship  greatly  astonished  and  amused  them — among  them  the 
coal,  which  presented  to  them  a  strange  consistency.  They  were  al- 
lowed to  sleep  in  the  hold,  and  seemed  much  pleased  with  their  night's 
entertainment.  In  the  morning  a  treaty  was  made  between  the  two  par- 
ties, which  provided  that  the  Esquimaux  should  furnish  them  with  blub- 
ber, and  rent  them  their  dogs  and  sledges  for  proposed  expeditions. 
Kane  had  heard  too  much  of  the  versatility  of  the  Esquimaux  mind  to 
be  surprised  when  he  found  that  the  treaty  was  not  kept.  Not  only  did 
the  party  never  return,  but  several  articles  of  value  about  the  ship  and  store- 
house were  found  to  be  missing.  Their  disappearance  could  only  be 
traced  to  the  greed  and  dishonesty  of  the  savages.  From  this  time,  how- 

506 


HUMBOLDT  GLACIER.  507 

ever,  they  were  visited  by  various  parties  of  the  Esquimaux,  with  whom 
they  established  amicable  relations,  and  whom  in  the  sufferings  and  priva- 
tions of  later  days  they  came  to  regard  as  friends  and  fellows. 

April  was  now  about  to  close,  and  the  little  time  allowed  by  the 
Arctic  summer  for  safe  traveling  must  be  used  to  the  best  advantage. 

o  o 

Accordingly,  a  journey  to  the  great  glacier  of  Humboldt  to  the  north- 
east was  planned  by  Kane,  and  the  officers  and  crew  were  soon  busy 
with  the  little  details  of  their  individual  preparations.  Kane  himself 
was  occupied  in  becoming  expert  in  the  use  of  the  dog-whip,  the  only 
means  of  guidance  in  canine  locomotion.  He  had  now  a  smart  team  of 
seven  dogs,  four  bought  of  the  visiting  Esquimaux  and  the  remaining 
three  of  his  old  stock.  These  he  was  busy  training  every  day  as  long 
as  his  strength  would  permit.  He  remarks  that  one  must  be  able  to  em- 
ploy both  strength  and  exceeding  dexterity,  or  else  give  up  the  idea  of 
driving  dogs.  It  is  necessary  to  be  able  to  hit  any  dog  in  the  team  in 
any  place — ear,  nose,  or  hoof.  The  efficacy  of  a  successful  hit  is  attested 
at  once  by  a  dismal  howl  and  accelerated  speed.  "  The  Society  for 
Preventing  Cruelty  to  Animals,"  says  Kane,  "would  have  put  me  in 
custody  if  they  had  been  near  enough ;  but,  thanks  to  a  merciless  whip 
freely  administered,  I  have  been  dashing  along  twelve  miles  in  the  last 
hour,  and  am  back  again;  harness,  sledge,  and  bones,  all  unbroken." 

The  party  chose  April  27  as  the  occasion  of  starting.  Two  sledges, 
equipped  with  all  that  a  varied  experience  in  the  frigid  zone  suggested, 
constituted  their  conveyance.  Kane  hoped,  by  the  help  of  the  provision- 
caches  deposited  along  the  route  during  the  previous  autumn,  to  be  able 
to  reach  a  higher  point  on  the  Greenland  coast  than  had  yet  been  at- 
tained. Indeed,  he  surmised  that  he  might  gain  a  point  sufficiently  north- 
ward to  enable  him  to  discover  whether  Greenland  was  connected  with 
North  America,  and  thus  was,  in  geographical  parlance,  a  great  penin- 
sula, or  whether  it  was  sufficiently  isolated  to  give  it  the  character,  and 
justify  the  name  of  island. 

Various  points  along  the  coast  were  successively  reached  and  named, 
and  great  care  taken  to  project  the  configuration  upon  carefully  wrought 
maps.  A  wonderful  column  of  green  stone,  standing  solitary  in  a  pic- 


508  KANE'S  STRENGTH  FAILS- 

turesque  nook,  was  called  "  Tennyson's  Monument."  At  length  a 
sight  was  gained  of  the  Great  Glacier.  Here  was  to  be  seen  the  ana- 
logue of  the  river  systems  of  America  and  Asia.  The  snows  of  Green- 
land's almost  perpetual  winter  descend  into  this  immense  basin  with  all 
the  leisurely  dignity  of  Nature,  and  seeking  every  fiord  and  recess  in  their 
majestic  course,  fill  them  with  minor  streams,  which,  cropping  out  into 
the  sea,  furnish  the  icebergs,  the  terror  of  northern  navigators.  The 
bulk  of  this  huge  stream  flows  on,  pouring  out  its  "  frozen  torrent,"  at 
last  into  unexplored  Arctic  waters. 

It  was  a  source  of  the  greatest  annoyance  to  the  party,  now  far  from 
the  b'rig,  to  find  that  the  stores  en  cache,  had  all  been  destroyed  by  the 
polar  bear;  through  no  fault,  however,  of  the  officers  to  whom  had  been 

intrusted   the   service  of   depositing  them  the   fall   before.       Substantial 

• 

cairns  had  been  erected  over  the  provisions,  consisting  of  stones  requir- 
ing the  strength  of  three  men  to  put  them  in  place.  The  bears,  with 
their  immense  strength  had  pushed  the  stones  aside,  and  shivered  the 
barrels  containing  the  pemmican  and  alcohol  into  atoms.  Thus  failing 
to  replenish  their  exhausted  stores,  their  progress  was  considerably 
embarrassed. 

The  delicate  health  of  Dr.  Kane  has  been  referred  to,  in  previous 
pages.  Overcome  with  the  great  requirements  of  the  occasion,  he  sank 
just  as  he  was  taking  observations  upon  the  ice  river  described  above. 
Only  the  tender  nursing  of  five  of  his  best  men  availed  to  save  his  life 
till  the  brig  could  be  reached.  The  narrative  of  Dr.  Hayes,  who  acted 
as  recorder  during  Kane's  sudden  and  severe  illness,  says  that  he  was 
brought  on  board  between  his  men,  apparently  in  a  dying  condition.  His 
symptoms  were  dropsical  effusion,  night-sweats  and  delirium,  and  Dr. 
Hayes'  diagnosis  supposed  him  to  be  suffering  from  scurvy  and  typhoid 
fever  combined.  For  several  days  he  fluctuated  between  life  and  death; 
but  finally  rallied  enough  to  plan  once  more  the  schedule  of  coming 
operations. 

Here,  again,  is  observed  the  principle  referred  to  in  the  biography  of 
Dr.  Kane — the  influence  exercised  over  disease  by  a  determined  state  of 
the  mind.  Two  of  Kane's  men,  physically  abler  and  stronger  than  he> 


HATES'  EXPEDITION.  509 

and  with  symptoms  no  worse  than  his  at  first,  had  succumbed  to  death 
in  spite  of  the  best  care  and  medical  treatment  that  could  possibly  be 
given  them.  But  the  genius  of  Kane  seemed  to  comprehend  the  fact 
that  the  safety  of  the  party  was  conditioned  upon  his  own  ability  to 
direct.  He  was,  in  fact,  without  being  ostentatious,  a  philanthropist  in 
a  very  real  and  practical  sense.  So,  with  a  strength  that  seemed  to  be 
and  was  superhuman,  he  clung  to  life  and  rose  to  be  again  the  moving 
spirit  of  his  party.  It  may  be  remarked  in  passing,  that  in  his  medical 
practice  Dr.  Kane  had  strong  faith  in  the  uses  of  moral  power  in  func- 
tional diseases.  His  own  case  had  led  him  to  be  somewhat  skeptical 
with  regard  to  the  offices  of  medicine;  and  he  was  loth  to  confess  the 
direct  action  of  any  remedy,  though,  if  the  credulousness  or  superstition 
of  any  patient  required  it,  he  had  abundant  expedients  to  disguise  his 
real  opinion.  For  example,  he  judged  at  one  time  that  his  scurvy 
patients  needed  simply  a  diet  of  vegetables.  They,  however,  shrank 
from  the  olive-oil  and  raw  potatoes  offered  them.  Whereupon  he  made 
a  nauseous-looking  compound  from  the  same  materials  and  dignified  it 
with  the  name  of  medicine,  which  was  swallowed  with  the  desired  effect. 
Their  faith  saved  them. 

Although  by  no  means  satisfied  with  his  tour  to  the  northeast  (for 
he  had  hoped  to  reach  the  north  coast  of  Greenland),  Dr.  Kane  felt  that 
his  operations  must  now  be  conducted  in  another  direction.  Capt.  Ingle- 
field,  an  account  of  whose  voyage  appears  in  another  chapter,  had  cal- 
culated inaccurately  the  trend  of  the  coast  on  both  sides  of  Smith's  Strait. 
This  was  shown  by  Kane's  theodolite,  which  indicated  a  disagreement 
with  Inglefield's  results  of  60°  angular  measurement.  It  was  thought 
necessary  to  cfoss  Smith's  Strait  to  the  western  side,  locate  more 
accurately  the  Cape  Sabine  of  Capt.  Inglefield,  and  compare  the  con- 
figuration of  the  coast  to  the  north  as  laid  down  by  him  with  their  own 
reckoning  at  that  point.  Dr.  Hayes  was  chosen  for  this  service.  He 
was  comparatively  fresh,  having  as  yet  undertaken  no  journey,  and  Wil- 
liam Godfrey,  one  of  the  sturdiest  travelers,  was  chosen  to  accompany 
him.  It  was  decided  to  travel  almost  exclusively  with  the  aid  of  the 
dogs — a  wise  decision,  for  Dr.  Hayes  afterward  reported  encountering 


510 


KBNNEDT  CHANNEL. 


places  which  could  not  have  been  traversed  at  all  without  their  valuable 
assistance. 

The  little  party  set  out  on  the  2Oth  of  May,  and  proceeded  directly 
across  the  strait  (the  ice  being  solid)  to  Cape  Sabine.  Examination  dis-, 
closed  the  fact  that  a«channel  still  to  the  north  of  Smith's  Strait  conveyed 
its  waters  to  some  point  beyond,  and  that  the  broadening  of  this  passage 
was  not,  as  had  been  supposed,  the  final  receptacle  of  the  waters  from 
the  south.  This  channel,  when  more  fully  explored,  was  named  Ken- 
nedy Channel. 

The  journey  abounded 
in  incident  and  thrilling 
experiences.  Godfrey, 
the  driver,  became  ex- 
hausted, and  was  obliged 
to  lay  up.  The  harness 
of  the  dogs  became 
broken  or  hopelessly  en- 
tangled, and  Dr.  Hayes 
was  compelled  to  under- 
take part  of  his  journey 
on  foot.  Upon  his  return 
he  found  that  the  dogs, 
unfed  as  they  were^  had 
eaten  all  of  the  harness 
within  their  reach.  He  himself  was  stricken  with  snow  blindness,  and 
unable  to  proceed.  When  at  last  they  were  once  more  able  to  travel,  a 
slice  from  Godfrey's  pantaloons  repaired  the  broken  harness,  and  they 
returned  to  the  ship  worn  out  and  sick.  They  had  traveled  two  hundred 
and  seventy  miles,  and  had  made  many  valuable  discoveries. 

One  of  the  most  important  journeys  of  this  season  was  undertaken  by 
Mr.  Morton,  often  mentioned  in  Kane's  narrative  as  a  most  faithful  and 
trusty  man  and  able  voyager.  His  companion  on  this  occasion  was 
Hans,  the  Esquimaux,  whose  services  proved  indispensable.  They  left 
the  brig  on  the  4th  of  June  and  proceeded  at  once  to  McGary's  Island, 


WM.    MORTON. 


MORTON'S  ALLEGED   OPEN  SEA.  511 

where,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  constructed  the  principal  cache  of  the 
previous  year.  Here  Morton  separated  from  Mr.  Bonsall,  Mr.  McGary, 
and  others  who  had  accompanied  him  thus  far,  and  joined  by  Hans,  pro- 
ceeded northward  on  the  I5th.  After  he  had  traveled  a  considerable 
distance  over  a  solid  area,  the  ice  indicating  by  the  cracks  a  thickness  of 
seventy-two  feet,  he  was  startled  by  its  growing  weakness.  It  became 
decidedly  rotten,  and  the  snow  on  its  surface  wet  and  pulpy.  Then  the 
reality  of  the  pole  of  maximum  cold,  and  of  a  warmer  climate  beyond, 
burst  upon  him.  It  now  for  the  first  time  occurred  to  him  that  a  long 
dark  band  seen  to  the  north,  beyond  a  penetrating  cape,  was  water. 
Climbing  an  eminence  which  gave  him  a  full  view  of  the  surrounding 
situation,  he  was  rejoiced  at  the  sight  of  what  appeared  to  him  an  open, 
extended  ocean. 

"  It  must  have  been  an  imposing  sight,  as  he  stood  at  this  termination 
of  his  journey,  looking  out  upon  the  great  waste  of  waters.  Not  a  speck 
of  ice,  to  use  his  own  words,  could  be  seen.  There,  from  a  height  of  400 
feet,  commanding  a  horizon  of  almost  forty  miles,  his  ears  were  glad- 
dened with  the  novel  music  of  dashing  waters,  and  a  surf  breaking  in 
among  the  rocks  at  his  feet,  stayed  his  further  progress.  The  high 
ridges  to  the  northeast  dwindled  away  to  low  blue  knobs,  which 
blended  finally  with  the  air.  Morton  called  the  cape  which  baffled  his 
labors  after  his  commander,  but  I  have  given  it  the  more  enduring  name 
of  Cape  Constitution.  I  do  not  believe  there  was  a  man  among  us 
who  did  not  long  for  the  means  of  embarking  upon  these  bright  and 
lovely  waters." 

Thus  having  reached  an  elevation  of  80°  30" — a  latitude  never  before 
attained  by  navigators  of  Greenland  seas — Morton  returned  homeward, 
to  be  received  with  warmth  and  gratitude  by  his  comrades. 

Once  more  the  time  for  northern  expeditions  was  drawing  to  a  close, 
and  the  continued  firmness  of  the  ice  about  the  brig  was  an  occasion  of 
serious  misgivings.  Could  it  be  that  they  were  destined  to  spend 
another  winter  of  darkness,  and  hunger,  and  famine  in  that  cheerless  region 
of  natural  dearth  ?  The  thought  was  horrible,  and  yet  no  exit  appeared 
for  the  good  ship  which  nine  months  before  had  found  here  an  icy  prison. 


512  A  DIFFICULT  PROBLEM. 

All  around  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was  a  frozen  waste.  It  was  true 
that  the  latest  time  for  the  ice  to  break  had  not  yet  appeared;  but  they 
had  to  remember  how  far  north  they  were,  and  how  unfavorable  a  season 
for  melting  ice  the  present  one  was  proving  itself  to  be.  Besides,  the  ice 
had  collected  in  great  hummocks  about  the  spot  where  they  had  warped 
their  way  in,  making  it  apparently  impossible  to  retreat.  The  specula- 
tions and  inquiries  of  the  rest  indicated  that  they  also  were  beginning  to 
have  anxious  thoughts  about  how  and  where  they  should  spend  the  com- 
ing year.  It  began  to  seem  as  if  winter  would  be  upon  them  again  be- 
fore the  sun  could  thaw  a  path  for  their  egress.  It  was  with  a  heavy 
heart  that  the  courageous  commander  set  about  solving  the  problem  of 
their  liberation. 


OLD  GRIM  (.KANE'S  FAVOKITE.) 


CHAPTER    LVIII. 

ATTEMPTED  JOURNEY  TO  BEECHEY  ISLAND PRELIMINARY  COUNCIL 

GOOD  FORTUNE  CORRECTS  INGLEFIELD's  ERRORS A  STORM 

ON  THE  BAY AN  EFFORT  FOR  FREEDOM A  RECORD  DEPOSITED 

DEPARTURE  OF  HAYES  AND  PARTY A  DANGEROUS  EXPERI- 
MENT  ESQUIMAUX  FRIENDSHIP A  PRIMITIVE  CONTRACT 

HAYES'  PARTY  RETURNS  —  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THEIR  WANDER- 
INGS  KALUTUNAH KANE'S  WONDERFUL  BUOYANCY A  DIA- 
BOLICAL PLOT ITS  DEFEAT. 

Long  experience  had  made  Dr.  Kane's  wisdom  very  extensive, 
amounting,  indeed,  almost  to  instinct.  The  present  serious  exigency 
received  his  best  thought.  The  experiences  of  that  awful  night-winter  of 
1853-4  led  him  to  shrink  from  exposing  himself  and  his  crew  to  another. 
If  none  too  well  provided  then  with  food  and  necessaries,  they  were  now 
almost  destitute.  How  could  his  dispirited,  diseased  little  band  endure 
again  the  strain  which  a  few  months'  absence  of  the  sun  imposed?  On 
the  other  hand  they  were  now  in  no  condition  to  attempt  an  escape  or 
change  of  residence  for  the  winter.  Half  the  men  were  on  the  sick  list, 
and  it  was  not  certain  where  relief  could  be  found.  Besides,  how  could  he 
abandon  the  Advance  when  any  possibility  of  saving  her  remained  ?  It  was 
true  that  this  summer  had  brought  the  open  water  only  four  miles  nearer 
than  it  had  been  in  the  spring;  but  the  fortunes  of  another  summer  might 
prove  more  propitious.  If  he  could  reach  Beechey  Island  he  might  find 
some  means  of  replenishing  his  stores,  or  possibly  fall  in  with  some  vessel 
to  whose  company  he  could  communicate  the  whereabouts  of  his  unfor- 
tunate party,  and  thus  bring  them  succor.  After  examining  all  the  argu- 
ments for  and  against,  he  concluded  that  to  leave  the  ship  was  impossi- 
ble. His  last  remaining  expedient  was  to  communicate  with  Beechey 
Island  if  possible,  and,  by  reaching  the  British  search  squadron,  obtain 

relief  in  that  manner. 

33  513 


514  ATTEMPTED   JOURNET   TO  BEECHET  ISLAND. 

Preliminary  to  so  hazardous  and  doubtful  an  undertaking,  a  meeting 
of  the  officers  was  called,  and  the  possibilities  and  impossibilities  of  the 
plan  were  carefully  considered,  and  the  ice  charts  for  the  proposed  route 
were  shown.  Concurrence  and  co-operation  were  not  urged  upon  the 
officers;  they  were  left  to  a  voluntary  choice  as  to  their  action  in  the 
matter.  All,  however,  seemed  satisfied  and  relieved  when  the  project 
was  divulged  to  them.  Every  man  on  board  volunteered,  but  only 
five  active  men  were  chosen  to  participate  in  the  fortunes  of  the 
journey. 

The  equipment,  which  had  been  preparing  for  some  time,  though 
without  the  object  being  understood,  was  now  completed.  A  boat  twenty- 
three  feet  long,  and  six  and  a  half  wide  in  the  middle,  was  fitted  with 
sails,  and  remodeled  as  well  as  the  carpenter's  limited  resources  would 
permit.  A  quantity  of  food  was  placed  on  board,  and  a  party  consist- 
ing of  all  except  the  sick,  was  detailed  to  "  sledge  "  the  boat  and  draw  it 

\ 

to  open  water.  This  proved  a  most  arduous  task.  The  ice  was  trouble- 
some, being  loose  and  rough;  and  the  repeated  straining  of  the  sledge 
caused  it  to  break  down,  and  this  led  to  a  tiresome  journey  of  twoscore 
miles  in  quest  of  another.  Through  untiring  perseverance  the  open 
water  was  at  last  reached,  and  the  boat  launched  on  its  bosom. 

Journeying  southward  through  Smith's  Strait,  a  piece  of  good  fortune 
befell  the  voyagers.  Upon  a  small  island  near  the  eastern  coast,  it  was 
found  that  large  numbers  of  ducks  of  various  kinds  were  nesting.  Some 
of  these  were  feeding  upon  the  animal  life  of  the  sea,  while  they  in  their 
turn  were  being  picked  off  by  the  dozen  by  members  of  a  stronger  va- 
riety. Our  navigators,  in  predatory  sympathy,  fed  voraciously  on  all, 
and  promptly  laid  by  a  store  for  future  use. 

Observations  upon  the  coast  confirmed  the  inferences  already  an- 
nounced, viz :  That  the  projections  of  Capt.  Inglefield  upon  the  map 
of  the  admiralty  had  been  faulty  and  inaccurate.  Dr.  Kane  would  have 
hesitated  in  making  such  an  announcement  had  not  the  observatory  from 
which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  checking  his  instruments  and  results  been 
constructed  with  careful  reference  to  astronomical  observations,  and  its 
position  determined  to  a  nicety.  Capt.  Inglefield  had  made  the  coast 


A   STORM  ON   THE  BAT.  515 

trend  some  20°  degrees  too  much  to  the  north,  thus  giving  the  capes 
and  inlets  discovered  too  high  a  latitude,  by  some  miles. 

At  last  the  time  came  for  the  party  to  bear  westward  across  the 
channel,  and  they  soon  passed  out  of  the  Strait's  protection  into  the  open 
sea.  Out  of  sight  of  land,  in  a  mere  cockleshell  of  a  boat,  and  with  a 
freshening  wind  boding  an  approaching  gale,  their  feelings  may  be  bet- 
ter imagined  than  described.  Baffin  had  traversed  that  gulf  230  years 
before,  but  his  ships  were  far  larger  and  better  fitted  for  heavy  waters 
than  the  little  boat  in  which  our  heroes  ventured.  The  gale  arose,  and 
for  twenty-two  hours  they  were  driven  to  and  fro  upon  the  troubled 
waters.  Only  the  consummate  skill  of  Mr.  McGary — than  whom,  Kane 
declares,  "there  is  no  better  boatman  in  the  world,"  the  boat  would 
have  been  swamped  in  an  hour,  and  even  he,  hardy  old  whaler  as  he 
was,  often  lost  hope,  and  gladly  hailed  the  moment  when  an  approach- 
ing floe  offered  them  a  temporary  protection.  Anchored  to  this,  they 
rode  out  the  storm. 

It  now  became  necessary  to  look  about  them  and  find  in  what  con- 
dition the  storm  had  left  them.  They  seemed,  at  first,  permanently 
beset.  The  ice  had  closed  around  them  from  every  direction,  and  the 
horizon  in  every  part  of  its  circle  was  girt  with  it.  Kane  knew  that 
they  might  depend  upon  the  warm  winds  from  the  south  to  scatter  the 
pack  and  give  them  means  of  exit;  but  he  saw  that  his  officers  had  no 
such  hope.  At  last  the  sun  appeared,  and  leads  began  to  open  in  every 
direction.  As  they  worked  their  way  through  the  opening  pack  each 
point  around  which  they  turned  brought  them  nearer  the  Greenland 
shore.  To  cross  the  channel  seemed  now  impossible,  and  it  was  deter- 
mined to  try  and  reach  some  southern  point  on  the  east  side  of  Baffin's 
Bay.  The  next  week  was  filled  with  almost  constant  exposure  and  dan- 
ger. The  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  drenched  them  to  the  skin,  while  the 
boat  was  so  filled  with  the  falling  water  that  it  required  almost  constant 
baling.  Again  the  closing  ice  on  every  hand  threatened'  constant  nips 
to  the  unprotected  boat.  Not  an  hour  passed  without  witnessing  the 
necessity  of  hauling  the  boat  on  the  ice  to  escape  a  closing  lead.  In  the 
midst  of  it  all,  one  of  the  number  fell  sick  from  exposure  and  lack  of 


516  AN  ATTEMPT  FOR  FREEDOM. 

sleep.  Perseverance  and  pluck,  however,  at  last  overcame  the  many 
obstacles,  and  they  found  themselves  close  to  the  coast  of  Greenland 
within  ten  miles  of  Cape  Barrow.  Coasting  for  some  distance  among 
the  islands  along  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Strait,  and  meeting  with  no 
important  adventure  nor  hopeful  sign,  they  decided  to  return  to  the  brig 
and  report  their  adventures  and  failure. 

One  last  desperate  attempt  to  liberate  the  ship  was  now  resolved  on. 
The  brig  had  been  now  nearly  a  year  confined  by  the  ice,  during  which 
time  she  had  not  changed  her  position  an  inch.  It  was  hoped  that  by  a 
judicious  use  of  blasting-powder,  a  lead  might  be  sufficiently  opened  to 
admit  of  her  safe  passage  out  into  the  open  water.  The  hope  was  a 
feeble  one,  for  the  ice  to  be  encountered  was  of  massive  thickness,  meas- 
uring sometimes  nine  feet  above  the  water  level — indicating  a  whole 

o  <~' 

thickness  of  sixty-three  feet. 

At  first  some  progress  was  effected.  One  canister  of  powder,  con- 
taining five  pounds,  was  sufficient  to  remove  two  hundred  square  yards 
of  ice.  As  fast  as  the  way  was  opened  the  ship  was  warped  along  a  few 
yards  at  a  time.  Finally  she  was  towed  into  a  small  bight,  where  she 
would  be  in  safety  until  more  extensive  measures  should  be  taken  for  her 
release.  It  was  observed  in  the  meantime  with  the  greatest  concern  that 
new  ice  began  already  to  form.  The  birds  began  to  fly  to  the  south. 
The  progress  through  the  deep  floes  was  insignificant  at  best,  and  the 
faces  of  all  lengthened  as  the  prospects  of  release  dwindled  away  and 
finally  seemed  altogether  to  vanish.  After  one  final  and  thorough 
examination  Dr.  Kane  decided  to  move  the  ship  no  further.  Hope  of 
complete  liberation  must  be  abandoned,  and  to  remove  the  ship  from  her 
present  secure  position  might  expose  her  to  unnecessary  danger  and  per- 
haps destruction. 

The  climax  of  the  expedition  being  now  reached,  it  was  decided,  as  a 
prudent  step,  to  make  a  full  record  of  procedures  in  a  concise  form  and 
deposit  it  where  it  could  not  fail  to  be  discovered  by  searchers  in  that 
vicinity,  if,  as  was  possible,  the  party  should  all  perish  before  they  could 
make  or  find  a  means  of  escape.  The  experience  on  Beechey  Island  five 
years  before  impelled  him  to  be  particularly  careful  about  this  office. 


SEPARATION.  517 

On  a  large  rock,  then,  facing  the  opening  from  the  west,  was  painted  in 
bold,  black  letters,  "  THE  ADVANCE."  A  hole  was  drilled  in  this  rock 
and  in  it  was  placed  a  bottle  carefully  sealed  with  melted  lead  and  con- 
taining a  brief  record  of  the  experience  and  discoveries  of  the  expedition 
from  the  time  it  was  beset  until  the  date  of  the  record. 

Kane  now  reflected  that  it  would  be  unjust,  and  perhaps  inhuman, 
to  require  the  whole  party  to  remain  at  the  brig  against  their  wishes  and 
better  judgment.  As  for  him,  he  felt  that  honor  required  him  to  abide 
by  his  vessel,  and  he  presumed  that  with  a  party  of  determined  men  the 
result  need  not  be  feared,  in  spite  of  the  gloomy  prospect.  But  he  felt 
as  he  always  had,  the  greatest  deference  for  the  feelings  and  opinions  of 
his  men,  and  he  decided  to  make  it  optional  with  each  one  whether  they 
should  go  or  stay. 

Calling  them  together,  he  laid  before  them  the  situation,  advising  all 
to  remain  with  the  ship,  but  giving  any  and  all  the  liberty  of  choosing 
their  course.  Those  who  should  decide  to  go,  were  to  choose  their  own 
officers  and  abide  by  their  counsel  and  commands;  relinquishing  for  the 
time  all  claim  upon  Dr.  Kane  and  those  who  might  remain  with  him. 
The  roll  was  called,  and  each  was  allowed  to  speak  for  himself.  The 
result  was  that  Dr.  Hayes,  with  eight  others,  decided  to  attempt  an  es- 
cape to  the  south. 

"  I  divided  to  them, "  says  Dr.  Kane,  "their  portion  of  our  resources 
justly  and  even  liberally ;  and  they  left  us  on  Monday,  the  aSth  of  August, 
with  every  appliance  our  narrow  circumstances  could  furnish  to  speed 
and  guide  them.  One  of  them,  George  Riley,  returned  a  few  days  af- 
terward; but  weary  months  went  by  before  we  saw  the  rest  again. 
They  carried  with  them  a  written  assurance  of  a  brother's  welcome 
should  they  be  driven  back ;  and  this  assurance  was  redeemed  when  hard 
trials  had  prepared  them  to  share  again  our  fortunes." 

Their  friends  having  departed,  the  remainder  of  our  little  band  set 
about  making  their  winter  home  as  tolerable  as  possible  for  the  coining 
severe  season.  Large  quantities  of  moss  were  gathered,  and  brought  in 
sledges  to  be  used  in  banking  up  the  brig,  making  it  very  like  an  Es- 
quimaux "igloe."  The  need  of  fresh  meat  began  to  be  real  and  press- 


518 


PERILS  OF  THE  HUNT. 


ing.  The  sick,  who  now  comprised  most  of  their  number,  could  not  be 
sustained  upon  a  scurvy-producing  diet  of  pork  and  beef.  This  need  led 
to  an  adventure  which  was  well-nigh  fatal  to  all  concerned  in  it.  Dr. 
Kane  and  Hans,  the  Esquimaux,  set  out  one  day  to  look  for  seals.  It 
was  their  intention  to  remain  out  four  or  five  days,  tenting  in  the  open 
air,  for  the  thermometer  still  showed  some  degrees  above  zero. 

At  first  they  were  surprised  to  find  how  far  they  had  to  go  to  reach 
the  open  water.  The  swiftly  advancing  winter  had  made  a  solid  ice- 
plain  of  the  spot  where  they  had  hoped  to  find  seals  playing  in  great  num- 
bers. At  last  the  edge  of  the  water  was  reached,  and  several  of  the 


WATCHING   FOR   A  SEAL, 


polar  beauties  were  discovered  gamboling  about  in  their  native  element. 
To  their  great  consternation,  Kane  and  Hans  suddenly  became  aware 
that  they  had  driven  upon  a  belt  of  unsafe  ice  which  threatened  to  give 
way  at  any  moment,  and  precipitate  them  into  the  freezing  flood.  Any 
stop  was  fatal.  Fear  and  vigorous  application  of  the  whip  gave  the 
dogs  their  greatest  rapidity,  and  they  sped  like  an  arrow  over  the  yield- 
ing mass.  But  such  an  effort  could  not  last.  One  of  the  runners  broke 
in,  and  then  dogs,  sledge,  and  men,  were  successively  precipitated  into 
the  congealing  mass  about  them.  Fortunately  for  the  Esquimaux,  he 
had  brought  his  kayak,  and  in  it  was  prepared  for  such  an  emer- 


VARIOUS   OPINIONS.  519 

gency;  but  Kane,  after  cutting  the  dogs  loose,  found  himself  struggling 
in  the  water,  and  growing  weaker  with  each  new  attempt  to  escape. 
The  Esquimaux,  in  the  meantime,  like  a  good  Moravian,  was  praying 
loudly  upon  the  solid  ice.  "At  every  fresh  crushing-in  of  the  ice,  he 
would  ejaculate  'God!'  and  when  I  re-commenced  my  paddling  he  re- 
commenced his  prayers." 

It  was  only  after  a  series  of  the  most  desperate  efforts,  that  Kane  at 
last  succeeded  in  establishing  himself  again  upon  the  solid  ice.  Here  he 
was  "frictioned"  by  the  Esquimaux  to  an  extent  which  caused  him  to  dis- 
miss all  fear  of  evil  results  from  his  ducking.  The  dogs  were  saved,  but 
the  entire  equipment  of  sledge,  tent,  guns,  and  robes,  was  lost  in  the 
water. 

It  may  interest  the  reader  to  note  the  manner  in  which  our  party  of 
explorers  was  again  brought  in  contact  with  the  Esquimaux;  and  to 
mark  the  subsequent  chain  of  events  which,  through  common  hardships 
and  sufferings,  seemed  to  bind  natives  and  seamen  together  in  enduring 
*  friendship.  It  is  curious  to  observe  the  different  characteristics  which 
different  explorers  have  attributed  to  this  peculiar  people.  Franklin  and 
Kane,  as  we  have  seen,  found  them  dishonest,  having  the  idea  of  prop- 
erty, at  least  as  regards  other  races  than  their  own,  almost  wholly  want- 
ing. Hall,  on  the  other  hand,  as  we  shall  duly  relate,  found  them  as  he 
says,  "scrupulously  honest,"  though  not  scrupulously  clean.  It  is  proba- 
bly true  that  their  dishonesty,  as  indicated  in  the  cases  of  Franklin  and 
Kane,  was  rather  due  to  a  shallow  knowledge  of  international  laws, 
and  a  very  limited  experience  in  the  matter  of  contact  with  other  races, 
than  to  a  depraved  moral  condition. 

During  Kane's  absence,  in  his  futile  attempt  to  reach  Beechey  Island 
his  remaining  men  had  had  free  intercourse  with  those  of  the  neighboring 
natives  who  were  inclined  to  be  friendly.  In  spite  of  the  unpleasantness 
occasioned  by  their  pilfering,  Kane,  upon  his  return,  encouraged  this 
intercourse  and  took  steps  to  make  it  mutually  profitable.  He  saw  that 
the  only  danger  of  the  crew  was  in  the  absence  of  fresh  meat.  If  an  alli- 
ance could  be  made  with  these  natives,  accustomed  to  the  rules  of  Arctic 
hunting,  this  perplexing  problem  of  anti-scorbutic  food  might  be  easily 


520 


A    PRIMITIVE    TREATY 


solved.  A  little  determined  action  on  the  part  of  the  whites  brought  the 
two  parties  to  an  understanding.  Certain  articles  having  been  stolen  and 
carried  off,  Kane  dispatched  two  active  men  in  pursuit,  with  orders  to 
bring  the  culprits  back,  and  to  compel  them  to  restore  the  stolen  goods. 
This  was  promptly  done,  and  resulted  in  a  compact  satisfactory  to  all  con- 
cerned. Stolen  goods  were  returned  from  all  quarters,  and  a  treaty  entered 
into  with  every  tribe  within  the  social  radius. 


CATCHING    BIRDS. 


The  provisions  of  this  novel  and  primitive  treaty  were  as  follows: 
"On  the  part  of  the  Innuit  or  Esquimaux :  'We  promise  that  we  will  bring 
you  fresh  meat.  We  promise  that  we  will  sell  or  lend  you  dogs.  We 
will  keep  you  company  wherever  you  want  us,  and  show  you  where  to 
find  the  game.' 

"  On  the  part  of  the  white  men,  the  stipulations  were  of  this  ample 
equivalent:  'We  promise  that  we  will  not  visit  you  with  death  or  sor- 


ARCTIC  DIET.  521 

eery,  nor  do  you  any  hurt  or  mischief  whatever.  We  will  shoot  for  you 
on  our  hunts.  You  shall  be  made  welcome  aboard  ship.  We  will  give 
you  presents  of  needles,  pins,  two  kinds  of  knives,  a  hoop,  three  bits  of 
hard  wood,  some  fat,  an  awl,  and  some  sewing  thread;  and  we  will  trade 
with  you  of  these  and  everything  else  you  want  for  walrus  and  seal  meat 
of  the  first  quality.'  "  To  the  credit  of  both  parties  be  it  said  that  in  all 
the  intercourse  of  that  winter  of  1854—5,  *-^s  treaty  was  never  broken. 

It  is  curious  to  notice  the  extraordinary  change  in  appetites  and  hab- 
its which  a  few  months'  sojourn  in  so  rigorous  a  temperature  had  effected. 
The  disgusting  blubber  and  raw  walrus  meat  of  the  natives  had  grown 
to  be  a  luxury.  Thus  do  the  feelings  adjust  themselves  to  the  physical 
requirements  of  the  different  zones.  "  The  liver  of  a  walrus  eaten  with 
slices  of  his  fat,  of'a  verity,  is  a  delicious  morsel!  Fire  would  ruin  the 
curt,  pithy  expression  of  vitality  which  belongs  to  the  uncooked  pieces. 
Charles  Lamb's  roast  pig  was  nothing  to  it.  I  wonder  that  raw  beef  is 
not  eaten  more  at  home.  Deprived  of  extraneous  fiber,  it  is  neither  indi- 
gestible nor  difficult  to  masticate.  With  acids  and  condiments  it  makes 
a  salad  which  an  educated  palate  cannot  help  relishing;  and  as  a  heat-cre- 
ating and  anti-scorbutic  food,  it  has  no  rival." 

The  reader  would  be  wearied  by  the  detail  of  events  which  occurred 
during  the  last  months  of  1854.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  amid  increasing 
privations,  and  with  disease  threatening  to  hopelessly  weaken  the  little 
band,  the  close  of  the  year  drew  near. 

On  the  yth  of  December  the  weary  watchers  at  the  brig  were  sur- 
prised by  the  appearance  of  several  sledge-loads  of  Esquimaux,  bring- 
ing among  them  Bonsall  and  Petersen,  two  of  the  party  who  had  gone 
out  with  Dr.  Hayes  during  the  last  days  of  the  previous  summer. 
They  reported  the  remainder  of  the  party  two  hundred  miles  away, 
their  resources  wasted,  health  broken,  and  themselves  divided  in  counsel, 
and  hesitating  as  to  their  future  course.  Kane's  first  thought,  of  course, 
was  of  relieving  their  necessity.  But  he  had  to  meet  the  question,  "Who 
could  go  to  their  relief?"  Not  .a  man  except  Mr.  McGary,  Hans,  and 
himself,  was  able  to  stir.  His  only  hope  lay  in  trusting  what  provi- 
sions he  could  spare  to  the  Esquimaux,  and  depending  upon  them  to  con- 


522  RETURN  OF  WANDERERS. 

vey  the  desired  assistance.  He  would  willingly  have  gone  himself  had 
it  been  practicable  to  leave  his  hospital.  As  it  was,  he  had  many  doubts 
and  misgivings  as  to  whether  the  natives,  under  temptation,  could  be 
trusted  with  the  precious  freight  which  they  were  now  carrying. 

These  reflections  were  ended  on  the  1 2th  by  the  return  of  the  wan- 
derers. They  were  suffering  terribly  from  cold,  and  were  nearly  fam- 
ished. "  Poor  fellows,"  says  Kane,  "  I  could  only  grasp  them  by  the 
hand  and  give  them  a  brother's  welcome." 

Their  story  was  an  almost  continuous  record  of  suffering  and  thrill- 
ing adventure.  Their  plan  had  been  to  reach  Upernavik  on  the 
Greenland  coast,  and  from  there  to  send  assistance  to  the  residue  at  the 
brig.  They  had  hoped  to  reach  open  water  at  no  great  distance,  but  in 
this  they  were  disappointed ;  besides,  the  ice  was  so  rough  and  broken  in 
one  place  that  it  took  them  three  days  to  make  six  miles,  dragging,  as 
they  were  compelled  to  do,  their  boat  and  provisions  over  its  rugged 
surface.  Some  of  them  were  naturally  ready  to  return  almost  before 
they  were  fairly  under  way.  Winter  was  coming  on,  starvation  stared 
them  in  the  face,  and  their  energies  were  fast  being  broken.  After  they 
had  labored  on  for  several  weeks  it  became  evident  that  they  must  find 
some  place  of  shelter.  A  hut  was  improvised  from  boulders  and  an  old 
sail,  with  such  other  articles  as  could  serve  any  purpose.  As  Franklin 
had  done,  they  attempted  to  lengthen  out  their  scanty  provisions  by  the 
use  of  the  tripe  de  roche,  or  rock  lichen;  but  it  acted  as  a  laxative,  and 
producing  still  greater  debility,  added  to  their  embarrassment.  Some  Es- 
quimaux caine  to  their  wretched  hovel,  and  brought  them  a  limited  sup- 
ply of  fresh  meat,  but  would  not  accede  to  any  request  to  sell  or  lend 
their  teams.  A  plot  on  the  part  of  the  natives  to  destroy  the  entire 
party  having  been  defeated,  Dr.  Hayes  again  tried  to  treat  with  them  in 
reference  to  their  teams.  He  says : 

"I  now  repeated  to  Kalutunah,  their  chieftain,  a  request  which  had  been 
made  on  previous  occasions,  namely,  that  the  people  should  take  us  upon 
their  sledges  and  carry  us  northward.  His  answer  was  the  same  that  it 
had  been  hitherto.  It  was  then  proposed  to  him  and  his  companions  that 
we  should  hire  their  teams  from  them;  but  this  they  also  declined  to 


KAL.UTUNAH. 


523 


524  HATES  STORT. 

comply  with.  No  offers  which  we  could  make  seemed  to  have  the 
slightest  effect  upon  them,  and  it  was  plain  that  nothing  would  induce 
them  to  comply  with  our  request,  nor  even  give  any  reason  for  their  re- 
fusal. In  fact,  they  thoroughly  understood  our  situation,  and  we  now 
entertained  no  doubt  that  they  had  made  up  their  minds  with  a  unanim- 
ity, which  at  an  earlier  period  seemed  improbable,  to  abandon  us  to  our 
fate,  and  to  profit  by  it. 

'  "  The  question  to  be  decided  became  an  easy  one.  Here  were  six  civ- 
ilized men  who  had  no  resort  for  the  preservation  of  their  lives,  their 
usefulness,  and  the  happiness  of  their  families,  except  in  the  aid  of 
sledges  and  teams  which  the  savages  obstinately  refused  to  sell  or  hire. 
The  expectation  of  seizing  our  remaining  effects,  after  we  should  have 
starved  or  frozen  to  death,  was  the  only  motive  of  their  refusal.  The 
savages  were  within  easy  reach  of  their  friends,  and  could  suffer  little  by 
a  short  delay  of  their  return.  For  their  property,  compensation  could  be 
made  after  our  arrival  at  the  brig." 

A  plan  to  secure  the  services  of  the  teams  was  at  once  organized, 
and  steps  taken  to  carry  it  into  execution.  The  natives  were  gathered 
together,  and  shown  the  utmost  kindness  in  order  to  remove  the  suspi- 
cions recently  entertained  of  the  whites.  Pictures  were  given  them  as 
presents  for  their  children,  and  a  great  feast  was  promised.  While  this 
was  preparing,  Dr.  Hayes  managed  unobserved  to  empty  the  contents  of 
a  small  vial  of  laudanum  into  their  favorite  soup,  hoping  that  it  would  as- 
sist in  making  them  sleep,  thus  facilitating  the  escape  with  the  dogs  and 
sledges.  Everything  was  covertly  put  in  readiness,  and  after  the  dinner 
had  been  eaten,  signs  of  drowsiness  among  the  Esquimaux  were  anx- 
iously looked  for. 

"  Our  guests  were  in  a  few  moments  asleep,  but  I  did  not  know  how 
much  of  their  drowsiness  was  due  to  fatigue  (for  they  had  been  hunting) 
and  how  much  to  the  opium;  nor  were  we  by  any  means  assured  that 
their  sleep  was  sound,  for  they  exhibited  signs  of  restlessness  which 
greatly  disturbed  us.  Every  moment  had  therefore  to  be  conducted  with 
the  utmost  caution." 

At  last  everything  was  in  readiness,  and  the  party  started  out.     Some 


BUOTANCT  OF  KANE.  535 

disturbance  had  been  made  in  starting,  and  they  were  not,  therefore, 
surprised  to  see,  before  they  got  out  of  sight,  those  whom  they  had 
clandestinely  left  behind,  come  toward  them  with  full  speed.  They 
were  obliged  at  once  to  take  some  definite  action.  They  leveled  their 
rifles  at  the  approaching  savages.  These,  seeing  their  danger,  made  ges- 
tures of  submission,  and  at  last  promised  to  do  all  that  was  asked  of 
them.  They  took  the  whole  party  on  their  sledges  and  brought  them 
to  the  brig,  where,  as  we  have  seen,  they  arrived  on  the  I2th  of 
December. 

Words  cannot  describe  the  horrible  experiences  of  the  remainder  of 
that  Arctic  winter.  Sickness  had  prostrated  nearly  every  one,  and  the 
results  of  this  were  intensified  by  the  depression  of  spirits  which  it 
seemed  impossible  to  shake  off.  It  was  all  that  the  commander  could  do 
to  bear  up  under  the  pressure,  and  sustain  the  feelings  of  his  men,  whom 
a  settled  melancholy  seemed  to  have  seized.  Bright  and  hopeful  as  he 
always  managed  to  appear,  his  journal  records  some  fearful  "  sinkings  of 
his  heart  within  him."  He  had  often  to  perform  the  fourfold  duty  of 
nurse,  physician,  cook,  and  provider  of  fuel,  besides  taking  his  place  as 
watchman  nearly  half  of  the  time.  There  is  recorded  no  more  marvel- 
ous sustaining  of  the  soul  than  is  shown  in  the  case  of  this  man.  This 
was  the  third  time  that  he  had  witnessed  the  spirits  of  his  men  die  out 
with  the  light  of  the  departing  sun,  and  had  been  compelled  to  see  them 
sinking  under  disease  during  a  long  and  tedious  winter  night;  and  this 
was  the  third  time  that  he  had  been  first  and  ablest  of  all  his  company 
to  hail  the  return  of  the  day-god. 

In  the  midst  of  all  trials,  Kane  was  resolved  to  preserve  the  most 
rigid  discipline  and  the  most  perfect  routine.  It  was  at  least  a  remem- 
brancer of  civilization,  and  it  served  to  promote  the  confidence  of  the 
men,  weakened  by  disease.  It  would  hardly  seem  that  mutiny  or  deser- 
tion need  be  feared  in  this  dreary  waste,  but  we  find  that  both  occurred; 
and  of  the  most  diabolical  type.  The  description  of  this  experience  will 
recall  the  circumstance  referred  to  in  the  chapter  of  Kane's  biography. 
One  William  Godfrey,  a  sailor,  had,  it  seems,  been  particularly  trouble- 
some throughout  the  voyage.  He  and  a  shipmate,  John  Blake,  were 


526  A  PLOT. 

bad  fellows,  of  whom  Kane  declares  that  he  was  curious  to  know  what 
might  have  been  their  past  life.  Certain  foreboding  whisperings  had  led 
Kane  to  suspect  a  plot,  and  put  him  at  once  on  his  guard.  One  day  a 
sailor  reported  having  overheard  a  conversation  between  the  two  dis- 
affected seamen  to  the  effect  that  they  would  leave  the  ship  as  soon  as 
possible.  Being  able-bodied  men,  and  nearly  well,  they  could  not  be 
spared  from  service,  and  their  desertion  would  also  probably  have  a  pre- 
judicial influence  on  the  neighboring  Esquimaux. 

When  the  two  came  to  leave  the  ship,  they  were  promptly  con- 
fronted, apprehended,  and  put  in  irons;  and  Godfrey,  the  instigator  and 
leader  in  the  step,  was  severely  punished.  At  first  he  confessed  all,  and 
made  fair  promises  for  the  future;  but  being  released,  he  went  on  deck 
ostensibly  to  work,  and  deserted  again  within  an  hour.  It  happened 
that  Hans,  the  Esquimaux,  had  gone  out  with  the  sledge  a  few  days 
before,  and  was  supposed  to  be  at  the  Esquimaux  settlements  some 
seventy  miles  away.  The  plan  of  Godfrey  was  supposed  to  include  the 
seizure  of  the  dogs  and  sledge,  thus  depriving  the  famine-visited  part}' 
at  the  brig  of  the  last  precarious  means  of  subsistence.  Kane  at  once 
saw  the  necessity  of  suppressing  such  a  proceeding  at  the  first  start.  He 
accordingly  dressed  as  an  Esquimaux,  appeared  mysteriously  in  the  vil- 
lage, and  before  Godfrey  could  recognize  him,  had  him  in  irons. 

The  winter  of  1854—5  wore  away,  and  the  advancing  sun  brought 
improved  symptoms  to  the  sick,  and  a  measure  of  hopefulness  to  all.  The 
situation  even  yet  was  dreadful.  All  had  long  since  concluded  that  the 
brig  never  could  be  liberated,  and  escape  in  that  way  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. The  men  were  still  so  reduced  in  strength  that  when  a  deer  was 
killed,  it  was  a  matter  of  serious  difficulty  to  transport  the  body  to  the 
ship.  A  dearth  of  fresh  meat  was  still  at  times  a  difficulty  hard  to  over- 
come. The  Esquimaux  themselves  were  in  a  starving  condition,  so  that 
aid  from  that  source  was  not  to  be  hoped  for.  One  of  the  stoutest  offi- 
cers on  board,  on  looking  at  himself  in  the  glass  for  the  first  time  since 
his  illness,  burst  into  tears  to  find  how  reduced  and  wretched  in  appear- 
ance he  had  become.  There  was  sad  truth  in  Kane's  summing  up  of  the 
matter,  «  Without  a  speedy  change  the  fate  of  the  party  was  inevitable." 


CHAPTER   LIX. 

KANE  DETERMINES  TO  ABANDON  THE  BRIG  -  REMOVAL  OK  BOATS 
AND  SLEDGES  -  TO  THE  WATER'S  EDGE  -  PARTING  FROM 
FRIENDS  --  HANS  PROVES  SUSCEPTIBLE  -  EMBARKING  -  A  FEAST  — 
A  SEAL  KILLED  -  THE  ANNUAL  OIL  BOAT  -  ARRIVAL  AT  UPER- 
—  HARTSTENE'S  SEARCH  —  KANE'S  LAST  DAYS. 


The  party  had  now  been  in  the  ice  about  two  years  and  the  day  of  the 
mg's  release  seemed  as  far  away  as  ever.  A  careful  reference  to  the  re- 
ports of  Dr.  Kane  and  his  officers  reveals  some  important  facts  relative  to 
the  necessity  of  their  abandoning  the  Advance.  Dr.  Kane  had  requested  his 
ice-masters  to  examine  the  ice  surrounding  the  brig  and  shutting  her  from 
the  open  sea,  in  order  to  determine  its  condition  compared  with  that  of 
the  previous  season,  and  the  probability  of  its  allowing  the  Advance  to 
effect  an  exit  this  year  of  1855.  The  above  mentioned  officers  reported 
that  the  ice  was  thicker  and  stronger  than  it  was  the  year  before,  and  ex- 
tended for  miles  further  out,  and  that  a  breaking  up  under  these  circum 
stances,  which  would  allow  the  brig  to  escape,  was  not  to  be  looked  for 
as  the  result  of  a  single  summer. 

It  was  further  found  that  all  the  fuel  had  been  taken  from  the  sub- 
stance of  the  Advance  which  could  be  taken  and  still  leave  her  sea-wor- 
thy in  case  of  subsequent  release  ;  and  that  not  above  half  a  month's  fuel 
could  be  gathered  from  the  whole  store.  Moreover,  their  stock  of  pro- 
visions had  become  so  reduced  that  not  over  thirty-six  days'  food 
remained.  These  discouraging  facts  were  certainly  sufficient  to  justify 
Kane  in  making  immediate  preparations  to  leave  his  vessel  and  depart 
for  the  south  in  whatever  way  was  deemed  practicable. 

After  due  consultation  it  was  decided  to  put  the  boats,  supplies  and 
sick  men  upon  sledges,  and  transport  them  to  what  was  considered  the 

open  sea,  and  then  proceed  southward  until  some  fortune  should  drive 

527 


528 


TAKING  LEAVE   OF   THE  BRIG. 


them  upon  friends,  or  until  they  should  reach  Upernavik,  trusting  to 
Providence  to  supply  them  with  food  when  it  should  give  out.  This 
agreed  upon,  the  officers  and  crew  proceeded  to  take  final  and  formal 
leave  of  the  brig.  A  portion  of  Scripture  was  read,  and  a  few  words 
spoken  by  Dr.  Kane,  reviewing  their  past  experience,  and  speaking  of 


HANS,   WIFE  AND   RELATIVES. 


hope  for  the  future.     They  marched    around   the  brig,  commenting   on 
her  appearance,  and  rehearsing  the  time  and  place  when  certain  scars  on 

her  surface  were  given.     The  figure-head,  a  representation  of  a  little  girl 

t 
with  painted  cheeks,  was  taken  from  the  bow.     Dr.  Kane  was   at  first 

doubtful  about  adding   this  to  the   already  heavy  burden,  but   the   men 


HANS,    THE    UNFAITHFUL.  529 

reasoned  that  it  could  be  burned  for  fuel  if  they  could  not  carry  it;  so  it 
was  put  upon  the  sledge  to  be  transported  to  the  water's  edge. 

Then  began  a  long  series  of  hard  days'  work,  for  which  the  men, 
debilitated  by  suffering  and  unused  to  toil,  were  utterly  unfitted.  The 
provisions  and  necessaries  had  to  be  take  :  from  the  ship  and  transported 
a  short  distance  at  a  time  till  the  land  ice  was  reached.  When  at  length 
this  was  accomplished,  a  shift  was  made  for  a  sail,  and  they  sped  swiftly 
across  the  floe  toward  the  wished  for  water.  Their  dusky  friends  had 
accompanied  them  to  the  water's  edge,  and  encamped  there  to  say  their 
last  good-byes.  In  them  they  had  found  for  the  most  part  friends,  and 
wretched  and  dirty  as  they  were,  their  hearts  went  out  toward  these  hos- 
pitable denizens  of  the  ice.  The  natives  gave  abundant  proof  that  their 
feelings  were  sincere.  They  crowded  around  the  mariners,  pressing 
upon  them  gifts  of  fresh  birds,  and  expressing  in  the  most  lugubrious 
strains  their  regret  at  their  coming  bereavement. 

"  My  heart  warms,"  says  Kane,  "  to  these  poor,  dirty,  miserable,  yet 
happy  beings,  so  long  our  neighbors,  and  of  late  so  staunchly  our  friends. 
Theirs  is  no  affectation  of  regret.  There  are  twenty-two  of  them  around 
me,  all  busy  in  good  offices  to  the  '  Docto  Kayens,'  and  there  are  only 
two  women  and  the  old  blind  patriarch,  Kresuk,  left  behind  at  the  set- 
tlement. *  *  *  We  cook  for  them  in  our  brig  camp-kettle;  they 
sleep  in  the  Red  Eric;  a  berg  close  at  hand  supplies  them  with  water; 
and  thus  rich  in  all  that  they  value — sleep,  food  and  companionship — 
with  their  treasured  short-lived  summer  sun  above  them,  the  beau  ideal 
and  sum  of  Esquimaux  blessings,  they  seem  supremely  happy." 

We  have  omitted  hitherto  to  state  for  the  benefit  of  those  interested 
in  Hans,  the  Esquimaux,  that,  infatuated  by  the  charms  of  the  lovely 
daughter  of  an  Esquimaux  chieftain,  he  had  one  day  left  the  ship's  com- 
pany not  to  return.  At  the  time  of  Kane's  departure,  he  heard  that  Hans 
was  living  happily  among  the  people  of  his  choice,  and  that  by  his  prow- 
ess and  experience  he  had  become  the  great  man  of  his  chosen  tribe.  We 
shall  next  hear  of  him  in  connection  with  Hayes, the  explorer  of  some 
years  later. 

After  leaving  their  friends  and  embarking  on  the  sea,  the  floating  ice 
34 


53) 


A   RARE  FEAST. 


of  the  sound  came  upon  them  in  dangerous  quantities  for  many  days. 
Overcoming  these  difficulties,  after  a  time  they  caught  sight  of  a  flock  of 
eider-ducks,  and  soon  became  aware  that  they  were  at  the  breeding  place 
of  these  aquatics.  A  recess  was  'found  among  the  ice-covered  rocks 
along  the  shore,  and  into  it  the  crew  pulled  their  little  fleet,  and  set  apart 
several  days  for  the  replenishing  of  their  stock  of  eatables. 

"  We  remained   almost  three  days   at  our  crystal   retreat,  gathering 


OFF  TO  THE  OPEN  SBA. 


eggs  at  the  rate  of  1 200  per  day.  Outside  the  storm  raged  without  inter- 
mission, and  our  egg  hunters  found  it  difficult  to  keep  their  feet ;  but  a 
verier  set  of  gourmands  than  were  gathered  within,  never  reveled  in 
genial  diet." 

When  at  length  they  started  again  on  their  way  new  obstacles  were 
met  with.  In  passing  into  the  less  dense  atmosphere,  they  found  diffi- 
culty in  breathing,  and  their  feet  swelled  so  that  it  became  necessary  to 


A    WELCOME  SOUND.  5fll 

cut  open  their  canvas  boots.  A  troublesome  form  of  insomnia  also  at- 
tacked them,  and  did  much  to  deprive  them  of  rest.  Their  ravenous 
appetites  had  made  fearful  inroads  on  their  larder,  and  the  scrimping  con- 
sequent upon  this  made  all  weak,  and  some  of  them  nearly  prostrate. 

"  It  was  at  this  crisis  of  our  fortunes  that  we  saw  a  large  seal  floating 
on  a  small  patch  of  ice — as  is  the  custom  of  these  animals — and  seem- 
ingly asleep.  Signal  was  made  for  one  of  the  boats  to  follow  astern,  and 
trembling  with  anxiety  we  prepared  to  crawl  down  upon  him.  Peter- 
sen,  with  the  large  English  rifle,  was  stationed  in  the  bow,  and  stockings 
were  drawn  over  the  oars  as  mufflers.  As  we  neared  the  animal  our  ex- 
citement  became  so  intense  that  the  men  could  hardly  keep  stroke. 

"I  had  a  set  of  signals  for  such  occasions,  which  spared  us  the  noise  of 
the  voice,  and  when  about  three  hundred  yards  away  the  oars  were  taken 
off,  and  we  moved  on  in  silence  with  a  single  scull  astern.  He  was  not 
asleep,  for  he  reared  his  head  when  we  were  almost  within  rifle  shot, 
and  to  this  day  I  can  remember  the  hard,  careworn,  almost  despairing 
expression  upon  the  men's  thin  faces,  as  they  saw  him  move.  Their 
lives  depended  on  his  capture." 

The  seal  was  killed,  and  was  torn  in  pieces  and  devoured  almost  raw 
by  the  half-famished  men.  Every  part  of  this  animal  was  saved.  Even 
the  entrails  found  their  way  into  the  pot  without  the  preliminary  treat- 
ment common  in  civilized  parts.  Thus  a  rare  and  savage  feast  was  sum- 
marily enjoyed. 

A  few  days  afterward,  as  they  were  laboring  across  the  heavy  sea,  a 
familiar  sound  came  to  them  over  the  water.  It  was  not  the  "  Huk ! 
huk ! "  of  the  natives,  nor  the  screeching  of  a  gull.  It  had,  to  ears  too 
anxiously  acute  to  be  mistaken,  the  well  known  ring  of  a  healthy 
"  Hello ! "  How  the  men  bent  to  their  ashen  oars,  and  how  every  nook 
.of  the  foggy  horizon  was  scanned  for  any  trace  of  the  source  whence  it 
proceeded.  It  proved  to  be  a  Danish  shallop — the  annual  oil  ship  from 
Upernavik. 

Here  they  got  their  first  idea  of  what  had  transpired  in  the  world 
since  they  begun,  as  it  were,  their  hermitage.  Not  much  news  could  be 
"•aincd  of  America,  but  it  was  ascertained  that  Lieut.  Hartstene  had  re- 


532  RESULTS   OF  KANE'S    VOTAGE. 

cently  passed  up  the  bay  in  search  of  the  party  supposed  from  their  long 
absence  to  be  lost  or  perishing.  And  Sir  John  Franklin,  what  of  him  ? 
How  their  own  little  specialty  came  up  into  mind,  as  they  thought  of 
their  failure!  Traces  of  him  or  remains  of  the  party,  had  been  found  a 
thousand  miles  to  the  south  of  their  searching-ground. 

Still  they  rowed  on,  and  the  next  day  came  to  Upernavik,  the  upper- 
most town  of  Greenland.  Here  they  were  showered  with  kindness  by 
the  inhabitants,  who  regarded  them  as  having  been  almost  miraculously 
saved.  They  were  so  weather-hardened  and  used  to  exposure,  that  they 
could  hardly  endure  to  stay  within  walls,  so  suffocating  was  this  novel 
experience.  A  few  more  days  found  them  at  Godhaven.  where  they 
met  the  rescuing  party. 

"  Presently  we  were  alongside.  An  officer  whom  I  shall  ever  re- 
member as  a  friend,  Capt.  Hartstene,  hailed  a  little  man  in  a  ragged 
flannel  shirt,  'Is  that  Dr.  Kane?'  and  with  the  'Yes!'  that  followed,  the 
rigging  was  manned  by  our  countrymen,  and  cheers  welcomed  us  back 
to  the  social  world  of  love  which  they  represented."  It  was  well  into 
September,  1855,  before  they  were  finally  on  their  way  to  their  homes 
which  had  missed  them  so  long. 

It  is  proper  in  closing  to  mention  briefly  the  scientific  results  of  this 
remarkable  voyage.  Kane  had  not  found  Franklin,  nor  had  he  explored 
the  fairy  land  and  water  which  surround  the  Pole.  "  But  his  bravery  and 
perseverance  had  added  immensely  to  the  limited  knowledge  of  the 
north  of  Greenland.  Over  a  thousand  miles  of  the  coast  had  been  ac- 
curately surveyed  and  projected,  and  many  of  the  glacial  wonders  of 
this  frigid  region  had  been  investigated  and  explained.  The  brave  com- 
mander had  not  only  been  exceedingly  zealous  himself,  but  had  planned 
and  sent  out  numerous  expeditions  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  par- 
ticular phases  of  the  polar  life.  Each  man  seemed  to  catch  the  earnest, 
enthusiastic  spirit  of  his  chief,  and  the  carefully  compiled  reports  of  all 
these  expeditions  have  proved  invaluable.  The  observations  on  the  me- 
teorology of  the  country,  were  perfectly  taken  and  classified.  The 
mathematical  operations  used  in  making  geographical  locations,  were 
conducted  with  the  utmost  care  and  skill;  making  the  results  authentic  on 


ICAN&S  EARLT  DEATH.  533 

all  points  dealt  with.  The  flora  of  the  north  was  treated  in  a  most  ex- 
haustive manner,  and  numerous  species  were  analyzed  and  reported, 
which  had  hitherto  been  unobserved,  or  received  no  attention.  All  these 
things  were  done  under  circumstances  so  distressing  and  discouraging  that 
few  would  have  had  the  interest  or  firmness  to  conduct  scientific  in- 
vestigation. 

As  valuable  as  Kane  made  himself  to  the  scientific  world,  and  as  dear 
*  as  he  became  to  the  hearts  of  the  people,  he  was  the  first  of  that  band  of 
returned  adventurers  to  pass  away.  His  frail  form  could  not  endure  the 
shocks  imposed  upon  it  by  three  northern  winters.  Broken  in  health, 
and  weighed  down  by  the  cares  to  which  he  had  been  a  prey  so  long,  he 
sailed  for  England  in  1857.  Becoming  worse  here,  he  repaired  to  Cuba, 
where  he  died  the  same  year  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-seven. 


CHAPTER    LX. 

M'CLINTOCK  IN  COMMAND  OF  THE  FOX  —  HIS  CHOICE  OF  OFFICERS — 

CAUGHT    IN    THE    PACK   OF  BAFFIN'S    BAY A  WINTER  IN  THE      * 

ICE — ARRIVE  ON  KING  WILLIAM'S  ISLAND HOBSON  DISCOVERS 

A    RECORD A    MOURNFUL    INFERENCE TWO   SKELETONS A 

CURIOUS    MEDLEY TESTIMONY  OF  THE    ESQUIMAUX   WOMAN 

IMPORTANCE  OF  M'CLINTOCK's  INVESTIGATIONS. 

We  are  now  about  to  describe  an  expedition  which,  while  perhaps 
not  equaling  some  others  in  the  thrilling  character  of  its  details,  never- 
theless achieved  the  long  wished-for  result  of  bringing  back  certain 
knowledge  of  the  circumstances  under  which  Sir  John  Franklin  met  his 
death. 

At  the  time  of  the  inception  of  this  enterprise,  the  interest  in  such 
undertakings  on  the  part  of  leading  nations,  and  the  sacrifice  of  life 
and  money  in  their  pursuit,  had  become  matters  of  history.  Traces  of 
the  ill-starred  voyagers  had  been  discovered,  but  no  definite  record  of 
the  probable  fate  of  the  expedition  had,  as  yet,  rewarded  the  efforts  of 
explorers. 

The  devotion  of  Lady  Franklin,  which  had  already  received  ample 
illustration,  in  the  large  amounts  of  money  expended  by  her  in  pursuit 
of  knowledge  concerning  her  lost  consort,  was  also  instrumental  in  the 
fitting  out,  and  dispatching  of  this  vessel;  and  on  the  i8th  of  April, 
1857,  she  did  Capt.  Leopold  M'Clintock  (before  mentioned  as  a  brave 
and  efficient  officer)  the  honor  to  offer  him  the  leadership  of  the  pro- 
posed expedition.  As  might  be  expected,  it  was  accepted.  As  a  post  of 
honor  and  difficulty,  it  would  cfuite  naturally  possess  sufficient  charms 
for  a  naval  officer  who  had  already  served  in  several  such  expeditions. 
M'Clintock  was  a  gallant  officer,  whose  heart  was  in  the  cause,  and 
whose  previous  experience  had  made  him  perfectly  conversant  with  all 

534 


OFFICERS   CHOSEN.  535 

».; 

the  details  of  Arctic  sailing.  It  seemed,  and  indeed,  the  event  proved, 
that  no  more  fortunate  choice  could  have  been  made.  The  screw-yacht 
Fox,  of  177  tons  burthen,  was  purchased  and  fitted  out  for  him,  and  full 
permission  obtained  for  him  from  the  admiralty  to  complete  the  search 
in  his  own  way.  . 

Not  only  did  M'Clintock  receive  aid  and  support  from  Lady  Frank- 
lin, but  the  Royal  Society  contributed  money  for  the  purchase  of  suit- 
able instruments,  and  the  London  Board  of  Trade  donated  several 
articles.  In  fact,  Capt.  M'Clintock  found  that  he  had  only  to  ask  for 
what  he  wanted,  to  receive  it  if  it  was  in  store.  He  required,  however, 
only  such  things  as  were  absolutely  necessary. 

He  was  peculiarly  fortunate  also  in  the  choice  of  his  officers  and 
crew.  Among  them  were  Lieut.  Hobson,  an  officer  of  much  experience; 
Capt.  Allen  Young,  of  the  merchant  marine,  who  not  only  threw  his 
services  into  the  cause,  but  subscribed  .£500  in  furtherance  of  it;  and  Dr. 
David  Walker,  an  accomplished  surgeon,  and  scientific  man; — all  these 
were  volunteers  whose  services  were  secured.  "  Many  worthy  old  ship- 
mates," says  M'Clintock,  "  my  companions  in  previous  Arctic  voyages 
most  readily  volunteered  their  services,  and  were  as  gratefully  accepted, 
for  it  was  my  anxious  wish  to  gather  around  me  well-tried  men,  who 
were  aware  of  the  duties  expected  of  them,  and  accustomed  to  naval  dis- 
cipline. Hence  out  of  the  twenty-five  souls  composing  our  small  com- 
pany, seventeen  had  previously  served  in  the  Arctic  search."  Just  before 
starting,  Carl  Petersen,  mentioned  in  connection  with  Dr.  Kane's 
memorable  expedition,  joined  the  vessel  as  interpreter.  The  ship  was 
amply  provisioned  for  twenty-eight  months,  and  the  supplies  included 
the  customary  stock  of  preserved  vegetables,  lime-juice,  and  pickles  for 
daily  consumption.  The  admiralty  caused  6682  pounds  of  pemmican 
to  be  prepared,  and  the  Board  of  Ordnance  furnished  the  arms,  powder 
and  shot,  and  giant-powder  for  ice  blasting.  M'Clintock,  being  anxious 
to  retain  for  his  vessel  the  privileges  she  formerly  enjoyed  as  a  yacht, 
was  enrolled  a  member  of  several  of  the  leading  clubs. 

Upon  June  3,  1857,  the  Fox  left  the  harbor,  and,  with  favoring  winds, 
the  coasts  of  Greenland  and  Cape  Farewell  were  sighted  on  the  i2th  of 


536  .    CAUGHT  IN   THE  MIDDLE    PACK. 

July.  It  may  be  well  to  state  what,  perhaps,  is  not  clearlj-  understood, 
that  Baffin's  Bay  freezes  over  every  winter.  During  the  following  sum- 
mer the  ice  breaks  up,  and  finds  its  way  downward  through  Davis'  Strait, 
frequently  obstructing  the  passage  from  east  to  west.  The  North  Pas- 
sage is  accomplished  by  sailing  around  the  western  end  of  the  pack  as  it 
comes  down ;  the  South  Passage  by  pursuing  a  similar  course  with  re- 
gard to  the  southern  end;  and  the  Middle  Passage  is  effected  by  pushing 
through  the  ice.  It  was  M'Clintock's  misfortune,  after  trying  all  these 
courses,  to  become  fastened  in  the  pack,  and  thus  he  was  delayed  for 
several  months. 

The  disappointment  of  a  crew  eager  for  results,  and  still  obliged  to 
spend  several  months  in  fruitless  drifting,  may  be  better  conceived  than 
portrayed.  The  thought  was  unbearable  that  they  must  spend  the  win- 
ter in  the  ice,  and  then,  even  if  they  escaped  being  crushed,  perhaps  be 
obliged  to  return  to  awaiting  nation  without. tidings  of  the  missing  and 
looked  for.  During  all  the  242  days,  however,  that  they  were  ice-bound, 
the  best  of  discipline  was  preserved,  and  the  brave  commander  himself 
still  remained  sanguine  of  success.  Many  times  the  destruction  of  the 
Fox  seemed  inevitable.  A  sea  of  heavy  ice  crowded  continuously  about 
her,  threatening  to  crush  in  her  sides,  or  by  sweeping  over  the  deck  to 
sink  her,  or  destroy  members  of  the  hapless  crew.  "  Every  floe,"  as 
Dr.  Kane  explains  it,  "took  upon  itself  the  functions  of  ocean;"  and 
thus  the  perils  of  an  Arctic  sea  were  made  doubly  terrible  by  the  waste 
of  ice. 

Whenever  it  was  possible  to  employ  or  amuse  the  men  among  these 
dreary  scenes,  M'Clintock  was  desirous  that  it  should  be  done.  An 
evening  school  for  the  men  was  arranged  by  Dr.  Walker,  and  carried  on 
with  genuine  success.  Later  on,  lectures  and  readings  were  organized, 
and  subjects  of  scientific  interest  discussed,  such  as  the  trade  winds,  at- 
mospheric phenomena,  and  the  uses  of  the  various  instruments.  On 
November  5,  being  still  in  the  pack,  the  men  proposed  to  celebrate  the 
•  preservation  of  their  ancestors  from  the  well-known  gunpowder  plot. 
An  efHgy  of  Guy  Fawkes  was  prepared,  and  burnt  on  the  ice.  "  Their 
blackened  faces,  extravagant  costumes,  glaring  torches,  and  savage  yells 


CRUISING   ON  THE  COAST.  537 

frightened  the  dogs  away;  nor  was  it  till  after  the  fireworks  were  let  off 
and  the  traitor  consumed,  that  they  crept  back  again.  It  was  school- 
night,  but  the  men  were  up  for  fun,  so  gave  the  Doctor  a  holiday/' 

The  Fox  had  reached  Melville  Bay  when  she  became  locked  in  the 
pack,  and  during  the  eight  months  that  she  was  an  ice-bound  prisoner, 
she  had  drifted  southward  over  1000  miles.  When  at  last  release  came 
with  the  genial  breezes  of  Southern  Greenland,  it  was  decided  to  steam 
to  Holsteinberg  to  rest,  get  refreshments  and  supplies,  and  enjoy  the  hos- 
pitalities of  the  Danes.  Thence  it  was  proposed  to  start  anew  upon 
their  philanthropic  mission.  It  was  April  28,  1858,  when  they  found 
themselves  safely  anchored  at  Holsteinberg,  and  on  May  8  they  once 
more  spread  their  sails  for  the  north.  The  plan  now  was  to  keep  as 
close  as  possible  to  the  Greenland  shore  as  far  up  as  Melville  Bay,  and  it 
was  hoped  that  it  would  be  possible  to  cut  across  the  north  end  of  the 
pack  and  gain  the  British  side  of  Baffin's  Bay  without  much  loss  of  time. 
On  several  occasions  it  seemed  as  if  they  were  fated  to  experience  the 
misfortunes  of  the  preceding  summer.  Escape,  however,  was  made  from 
these  difficulties  without  serious  delay,  and  July  found  them  cruising 
about  the  British  coast. 

Care  was  taken  to  question  all  natives  old  and  young  concerning  any 
whites  who  had  ever  visited  their  coast;  especially  concerning  the  wreck- 
ing of  ships,  and  the  time,  place,  and  cause  of  the  death  of  any  who  had 
been  known  to  perish.  Thus  the  whole  distance  from  Melville  Bay, 
through  Lancaster  Sound  and  the  shoals  and  inlets  of  the  British  side 
was  gone  over  as  far  down  as  King  William's  Island.  At  nearly  every 
point  rumors  were  furnished  concerning  certain  ill-fated  ships  that  were 
said  to  have  been  wrecked,  and  the  crews  reduced  to  starvation  and  death. 
But,  although  the  stories  thus  far  listened  to  might  furnish  keys  to  the 
solution  of  some  other  problems  interesting  in  their  time  and  place,  there 
was  too  much  uncertainty  and  vagueness  in  them  to  be  relied  upon,  or  to 
form  the  basis  of  any  hypothesis  of  discovery. 

Upon  King  William's  Island,  however,  they  hoped  for  better  results. 
Hints  gathered  by  some  former  navigators  pointed  to  the  fact  as  proba- 
ble that  Sir  John  had  met  his  death  on  this  island,  and  it  was  hoped  to 


538  ON  KING    WILLIAM'S  ISLAND. 

find  some  record  or  trace  that  should  settle  the  matter  beyond  the  dis- 
pute of  cynical  theorists.  How  successful  they  were  will  appear  in  the 
following  pages.  It  was  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  May,  when  the  little 
party  crossed  over  to  King  William's  Island.  Nearly  two  years  had 
elapsed  since  the  expedition  left  England,  and  as  yet  not  one  fact  had 
been  gained  in  the  accomplishment  of  their  object.  What  but  the  sincer- 
est  devotion  to  a  cherished  purpose  could  have  induced  these  men  to 
sacrifice  so  much  time  in  the  very  prime  of  their  manhood,  and  spend  it  in 
danger,  and  difficulty,  and  sufferings? 

The  information  gained  from  natives  on  this  island,  although  partak- 
ing in  some  degree  of  the  vague  character  of  that  obtained  from  other 
sources,  nevertheless  sufficiently  confirmed  their  previous  suspicions.  Be- 
sides, certain  trinkets  and  small  articles  in  their  possession  were  identified 
as  having  at  some  time  belonged  to  members  of  Franklin's  crew.  Thus 
it  was  concluded  that  here  or  in  this  vicinity,  would  be  found  a  positive 
answer  to  the  troubled  query. 

On  arrival  at  King  William's  Island  the  party  was  subdivided  for 
purposes  of  sledge-travel.  Capt.  M'Clintock  and  Mr.  Petersen,  his  inter- 
preter, headed  one  party,  and  Lieut.  Hobson  the  other.  Each  division 
was  well  equipped  with  clothing  and  other  essentials  to  their  comfort  and 
safety.  Capt.  M'Clintock  does  not  seem  to  have  had  as  good  success  in 
discovering  indications  as  Hobson,  not  having  met  natives  who  could  give 
him  any  intelligent  information;  and  we  find  him  in  a  few  weeks  on  the 
track  of  that  officer,  partly  for  the  purpose  of  giving  him  aid  in  case  of 
need,  and  partly  to  confirm  anything  of  importance  that  Mr.  H.  might 
have  come  upon.  At  various  points  objects  were  now  discovered,  show- 
ing the  track  of  the  retreating  party. 

Near  Cape  Herschel,  on  the  south  of  the  island,  Capt.  M'Clintock  at 
last  found  a  cairn  built  by  Lieut.  Hobson.  No  wreck  had  been  found 
and  no  natives  interviewed,  but  he  had  discovered  a  record  so  long  and 
earnestly  sought  for  of  the  Franklin  expedition.  Before  giving  the  details 
of  this  record  it  may  be  well  to  explain  that  documents  of  this  character 
are  made  on  blanks  furnished  for  the  purpose  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment— of  the  kind  suitable  for  inclosing  in  bottles  and  dropping  into  the 


A  RECORD.  539 

sea,  in  case  of  wrecked  or  sinking  vessels.  On  these  blanks  is  printed,  in 
six  different  languages,  the  request  that  the  finder  shall  forward  the  same 
to  the  admiralty.  The  record  here  found  was  of  the  kind  described;  it 
was  written  by  Lieut.  Gore,  and  read  as  follows: 

"  MAY  28,  1847. 

"  H.  M.  S.  Erebus  and  Terror  wintered  in  ice  in  latitude  70°  5'    north,   longitude 
98°   23',  west.     Having  wintered   in   1846-7  at  Beechey  Island,  in  latitude  74°   43' 
28"  north,  longitude  91°    39'  15*   west,   after  having  ascended   Wellington    Channel 
to  77°  and  returned  by  the  west  side  of  Cornwallis  Island. 
"Sir  Jno.  Franklin  commanding  the  expedition 
"All  well. 

"  Party  consisting  of  two  officers  and  six  men  left  the  ships  on  Monday,  24th 
May,  1847. 

"  GR.  GORE,  Lieut. 
"CHAs.  DEVOEUX,  Mate." 

There  is  manifestly  an  error  in  the  record  given  above.  The  winter 
spent  at  Beechey  Island  must  have  been  1845—6,  for  the  record  itself 
makes  a  point  of  stating  that,  1847  (i.e.  1846-7)  was  spent  in  the  ice. 
This  is  plain,  and  the  party's  success  is  briefly  summed  up  in  the  remain- 
der of  the  record.  Certain  whalers  brought  intelligence  in  1845  that  the 
two  ships  of  Franklin  entered  Wellington  Channel  by  Lancaster  Sound, 
and  sailed  up  150  miles.  As  is  shown  by  the  record  Franklin  returned 
southward,  probably  not  caring  to  risk  the  fleet  in  the  unknown  waters 
so  far  from  the  coast  of  America.  These  results,  however,  the  exploring 
of  Wellington  Channel  and  the  addition  to  the  charts  of  admiralty  of 
the  land  on  both  sides  must  be  regarded  as  remarkable  for  the  work  of 
a  single  season.  It  is  thought  that  Franklin  had  demonstrated  without 
doubt  the  existence  of  a  Northwest  Passage,  although  he  was  destined 
never  to  make  his  discovery  of  practical  importance. 

If  the  above  record  had  been  all,  or  if  the  remainder  had  been  as 
cheering  in  tone  as  that  already  given,  how  gratifying  must  have  been 
these  disclosures  to  our  weary  searchers.  But  alas !  around  the  margin 
of  the  record,  whose  contents  have  been  partially  given  above,  were 
inscribed  the  following  words  in  another  hand: 


540  MOURNFUL  INFERENCES. 

"APRIL  25,  1848. 

"H.  M.  S.  Terror  and  Erebus  were  deserted  on  the  22d  April,  five  leagues  N.  N* 
W.  of  this,  having  been  beset  since  I2th  of  September,  1846.  The  officers  and  crews 
consisting  of  105  souls  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Crozier,  landed  here  in  latitude 
69°  37'  42'  N.,  longitude  98°  41'  W.  Sir  Jno.  Franklin  died  on  the  nth  of  June, 
1847,  and  the  total  loss  by  deaths  in  the  expedition  has  been  to  this  date  9  officers  and 
15  men. 

(Signed.)  (Signed.) 

"F.  R.  M.   CROZIER,  "TAS.  FITZJAMES, 

"Capt.  and  Sr.  Officer.  "  Capt.  Erebus. 

"And  start  (on)  to-morrow,  26th,  for  Back's  Fish  River." 

How  mournful  it  was  to  receive  thus  the  complete  assurance  of  a  fact 
whose  foreshadowing  had  long  been  over  them!  A  sadder  tale  was  never 
told  iu  few  words.  There  is  something  deeply  touching  in  their 
extreme  simplicity,  and  they  show  in  the  strongest  manner  that  both  the 
leaders  of  this  retreating  party  were  actuated  by  the  loftiest  sense  of 
duty,  and  met  with  calmness  and  decision  the  fearful  alternative  of  a  last 
bold  struggle  for  life  rather  than  perish  without  effort  on  board  their 
ships.  We  well  know  that  the  Erebus  and  Terror  were  not  provisioned 
for  more  than  three  years,  or  up  to  July,  1848. 

M'Clintock  afterward  went  to  the  western  extremity  of  King  Wil- 
liam's Island.  Here  he  found  that  Hobson  had  been  before  him  and  had 
discovered  a  large  boat  with  various  other  articles,  such  as  clothing  and 
the  paraphernalia  of  the  Arctic  toilet. 

"But,"  says  M'Clintock,  "all  these  were  after  observations;  there 
was  that  in  the  boat  which  transfixed  us  with  awe.  It  was  portions  of 
two  human  skeletons.  One  was  that  of  a  slight  young  person ;  the  other 
of  a  large,  strongly-made,  middle-aged  man.  The  former  was  found  in 
the  bow  of  the  boat,  but  in  too  much  disturbed  a  state  to  enable  Hobson 
to  determine  whether  the  sufferer  had  died  there;  large  and  powerful 
animals,  probably  wolves,  had  destroyed  much  of  this  skeleton,  which 
may  have  been  that  of  an  officer.  Near  it  we  found  the  fragment  of  a 
pair  of  worked  slippers.  ****** 

"  Besides  these  slippers,  there  were  a  pair  of  small,  strong,  shooting 
half-boots.  The  other  skeleton  was  in  a  somewhat  more  perfect  state, 


RELICS   OF  THE  LOST.  541 

and  was  enveloped  with  clothes  and  furs;  it  lay  across  the  boat  under  the 
after  thwart.  Close  beside  it  were  found  five  watches,  and  there  were 
two  double-barreled  guns* — one  barrel  in  each  loaded  and  cocked,  stand- 
ing muzzle  upward  against  the  boat  side.  It  may  be  imagined  with 
what  deep  interest  these  sad  relics  were  scrutinized,  and  how  anxiously 
every  fragment  of  clothing  was  turned  over  in  search  of  pockets  and 
pocket-books,  journals,  or  even  names.  Five  or  six  books  were  found, 
all  of  them  scriptural  or  devotional  works,  except  the  Vicar  of  Wake- 
field.  One  little  book,  'Christian  Melodies,'  bore  an  inscription  on  the 
title  page,  from  the  donor  to  G.  G.  (Graham  Gore?)  A  small  Bible 
contained  numerous  marginal  notes  and  whole  passages  underlined.  Be- 
sides these  works,  the  covers  of  a  New  Testament  and  Prayer  Book  were 
found. 

"Amongst  an  amazing  quantity  of  clothing  there  were  seven  or  eight 
pairs  of  boots  of  various  kinds — cloth  winter  boots,  sea-boots,  heavy 
ankle-boots,  and  strong  shoes.  I  noticed  that  there  were  silk  handker- 
chiefs— black,  white,  and  figured;  towels,  soap,  sponge,  tooth-brush,  and 
hair-combs;  Macintosh  gun  cover  marked  outside  with  paint,  A  12,  and 
lined  with  black  cloth.  Besides  these  articles,  we  found  twine,  nails, 
saws,  files,  bristles,  wax-ends,  sailmakers'  palms,  powder,  bullets,  shot,, 
cartridges,  wads,  leather  cartridge-case,  knives — clasp  and  dinner  ones — 
needles  and  thread,  slow  match,  several  bayonet  scabbards  cut  down  into 
knife  sheaths,  two  rolls  of  sheet  lead,  and  in  short,  a  quantity  of  articles 
of  one  description  and  another  truly  astonishing  in  variety,  and  such 
as  for  the  most  part,  modern  sledge-travelers  would  consider  a  mere 
accumulation  of  dead-weight,  but  slightly  useful,  and  very  likely  to  break 
down  the  strength  of  the  sledge  crews. 

"The  only  provisions  we  could  find  were  tea  and  chocolate;  of  the 
former  very  little  remained,  but  there  were  nearly  forty  pounds  of  the 
latter.  These  articles  alone  could  never  support  life  in  such  a  climate, 
and  we  found  neither  biscuit  nor  meat  of  any  kind.  A  portion  of  to- 
bacco, and  an  empty  pemmican-tin,  capable  of  containing  twenty-two 
pounds  weight,  were  found.  The  tin  was  marked  with  an  E.  It  had 
probably  belonged  to  the  Erebus.  None  of  the  fuel  originally  brought 


STATUE  OF  FRANKLIN. 


542 


AN  OLD   WOMAN'S   TESTIMONT.  543 

from  the  ships  remained  in  or  about  the  boat,  but  there  was  no  lack  of  it 
for  a  drift-tree  was  lying  on  the  beach  close  at  hand,  and  had  the  party 
been  in  need  of  fuel,  they  would  have  used  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the 
boat." 

Besides  the  things  mentioned  above,  there  were  discovered  several 
pieces  of  plate  evidently  having  belonged  to  the  officers'  mess.  These 
melancholy  relics  were  placed  in  the  hospital  at  Greenwich,  where  they 
may  be  seen  to-day.  No  vestige  of  a  wreck  was  found,  and  it  seemed 
likely  to  M'Clintock  and  his  companions  that  the  ships  had  been  broken  , 
up  and  carried  out  to  sea.  Although  no  particular  skeleton  was  here 
identified,  nor  any  further  news  found,  it  seemed  likely  that  a  journey 
had  been  attempted  to  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Fish  River.  The  cap- 
tains had  evidently  chosen  to  make  this  last  and  desperate  endeavor  to 
save  the  lives  of  their  crews,  rather  than  to  remain  in  the  ships;  which 
course,  in  the  absence  of  provisions  and  the  lack  of  means  of  obtaining 
any.  would  have  been  no  more  nor  less  than  suicide.  So  the  marks  along 
the  way  seemed  to  justify  the  testimony  of  the  old  Esquimaux  woman, 
who  had  deposed:  "The  white  men  marched  along  toward  the  great 
river  and  fell  dead  as  they  marched."  Faint  from  lack  of  food,  their 
loved  commander  long  since  gone,  the  last  hope  dying  out  as  the  last 
star  is  obscured  by  the  thickening  cloud,  they  had  struggled  on  and  met 
their  fate  in  the  land  where  their  best  work  was  done. 

Of  great  importance  were  the  discoveries  of  M'Clintock.  Upon  his 
return  to  England  in  the  autumn  of  1859,  he  was  received  with  the  great- 
est honors  and  warmest  congratulations.  He  had  been  absent  for  over 
two  years,  during  which  time  almost  no  tidings  had  come  of  him  to  prove 
that  he  had  not  met  the  destiny  of  those  whom  he  sought.  He  received 
many  rewards  from  the  admiralty,  and  the  undying  gratitude  of  Lady 
Franklin,  for  his  valor  and  success.  Still  later  he  was  knighted  by  the 
Queen,  and  Sir  Leopold  M'Clintock  has  gone  into  history  as  one  of 
the  most  eminent  of  modern  explorers. 

Let  us  add  in  conclusion  a  word  in  regard  to  the  geographical  im- 
portance of  M'Clintock's  investigations.  Besides  bringing  to  light  the 
most  important  of  the  knowledge  gained,  but  never  published,  by  Fnmk- 


544  GEOGRAPHICAL   DISCOVERIES   OF  M'CLINTOCK. 

lin,  he  himself  achieved  success  in  many  ways.  He  proved  that  Strait 
Bellot,  which  had  hitherto  been  regarded  as  an  impassable,  frozen  chan- 
nel, or  perhaps  ignored  as  a  channel  at  all,  is  a  navigable  strait,  the  south 
shore  of  which  is  thus  seen  to  be  the  northernmost  land  of  the  continent 
of  North  America.  He  also  laid  down  the  hitherto  unknown  coast  line 
of  Boothia  southward  from  Bellot  Strait  to  the  Magnetic  Pole,  delineated 
the  whole  of  King  William's  Island,  and  opened  a  new  and  capacious, 
though  ice-choked  channel,  suspected  before  but  not  proved  to  exist,  ex- 
tending from  Victoria  Strait,  in  a  northwest  direction  to  Melville  or  Parry 
Sound. 

The  latter  discovery  rewarded  the  individual  exertions  of  Capt.  Allen 
Young,  but  very  properly,  at  Lady  Franklin's  request,  bears  the  name 
of  the  leader  of  the  "  Fox"  Expedition,  who  had  himself  assigned  to  it  the 
name  of  Franklin's  widow. 

•  Neither  was  the  expedition  unfruitful  of  scientific  results,  for  while  the 
popular  mind  is  delighted  with  the  graphic  descriptions  of  the  native  Es- 
quimaux and  animal  life,  so  copiously  given  in  his  interesting  book,  the 
specialist  in  science  may  be  grateful  to  find  in  Capt.  M'Clintock's  val- 
uable appendices  many  and  important  additions  to  the  zoology,  botany, 
meteorology,  and  particularly  the  details  of  the  terrestrial  magnetism  of 
the  regions  examined. 

The  natural  modesty  of  M'Clintock  has  prevented  his  doing  justice 
to  himself  in  his  own  journal.  His  conduct  and  prowess  were  such  as 
could  be  estimated  only  by  those  whose  fortune  it  was  to  serve  under 
him,  and  who  have  been  glad  to  testify  to  his  great  qualities  in  times  of 
need  and  of  extreme  peril.  The  example  of  such  men  must  indeed  be  . 
invaluable  in  a  country  where  it  is  desired  to  develop  in  the  hearts 
and  minds  of  the  people  those  qualities  of  independence  and  devotion  to 
a  noble  purpose,  which  tend  to  make  the  nation  invincible. 


CHAPTER    LXI. 

HALL'S    FIRST    VOYAGE — A    GENEROUS    OFFER — MR.    GRINNELL'S 

AGENCY KUDLAGO SEA   SICKNESS ICEBERGS A  SAIL DEATH 

OF  KUDLAGO AT  HOLSTEINBERG TO  NORTHUMBERLAND  INLET 

RUNAWAYS THE    BLACK    EAGLE A    TRANSFORMATION A 

NEW  USE  OF  THE  TONGUE. 

Few  men  have  entered  upon  a  great  undertaking  with  less  encour- 
agement and  means  than  did  Charles  Francis  Hall.  An  American  of 
humble  birth,  without  friends  of  influence  or  money  of  his  own  with 
which  to  fit  out  an  expedition  to  the  Polar  Seas,  he  nevertheless  accom- 
plished much  more  than  most  of  those  who  had  far  superior  resources. 
He  was  a  characteristic  American.  What  if  his  father  had  been  a  black- 
smith? What  if  the  smile  of  fortune  had  not  fallen  upon  him?  What 
though  only  an  obscure  journalist  in  the  Western  town  of  Cincinnati, 
if  conviction,  courage  and  enthusiasm  called  him  to  the  dangerous  work 
of  Arctic  exploration? 

Franklin  had  been  lost;  the  British  Government  had  spent  $10,000,- 
ooo  for  him ;  Dr.  Kane  and  others  had  wasted  their  lives  in  the  cause  with- 
out complete  success.  Franklin  and  his  crew  still  lingered  somewhere 
in  the  ice-bound  coasts  of  King  William's  Land,  no  man  knew  where. 
Hall's  heart  went  out  in  sympathy  for  the  lost  ones,  and  for  years  he  was 
meditating  upon  the  probabilities  of  their  discovery  and  recovery  before 
he  dared  to  mention  it.  Finally,  in  1859,  the  "call,"  as  he  terms  it,  be- 
came so  imperative  that  his  plan  was  divulged  to  a  few  intimate  friends 
in  Cincinnati,  and  afterward  to  men  of  more  notoriety.  Mayor  Bishop, 
Gov.  Dennison,  Miles  Greenwood,  Senator  Chase,  and  others,  espoused 
his  cause  at  once,  and  gave  letters  of  value  to  aid  him  in  securing  an 
outfit.  But  whence  was  such  an  outfit  to  come?  Mr.  Hall  at  first  con- 
cluded to  apply  to  the  English  Government  for  a  ship  which  had  been 
35  545 


546  A   GENEROUS   OFFER. 

used  in  exploration  before,  and  was  at  the  time  on  the  docks  awaiting 
repairs.  For  some  reason,  however,  application  was  never  made  for 
this  vessel.  In  fact,  it  was  but  a  short  time  after  making  known  his  in- 
tentions that  the  generous-hearted  firm  of  Williams  &  Havens,  New 
London,  Conn.,  sent  the  would-be  explorer  the  following  letter,  thereby 
making  all  other  efforts  to  secure  a  ship  unnecessary : 

"CHARLES  FRANCIS  HALL: 

"DEAR  SIR  : — As  a  testimonial  of  our  personal  regard,  and  the  interest  we  feel  in 
the  proposed  expedition,  we  will  convey  it  and  its  required  outfit,  boats,  sledges,  pro- 
visions, instruments,  etc.,  free  of  charge,  in  the  barque  George  Henry,  to  Northum- 
berland Inlet,  and  whenever  desired  we  will  give  the  same  free  passage  home  in  our 
ships." 

This  offer  was  at  once  accepted.  The  George  Henry  had  been  tried 
in  Arctic  waters  and  proved  faithful,  and  it  now  only  remained  to  have 
a  smaller  boat  built  to  accompany  the  larger  vessel.  It  was  not  long  be- 
fore the  contract  for  building  the  new  craft  was  awarded  to  Mr.  G.  W. 
Rogers  of  New  London.  This  ship-builder  had  fitted  out  Kane  and 
DeHaven.  Hence,  with  some  personal  supervision  by  Mr.  Hall,  and 
much  valuable  advice  by  Henry  Grinnell,  of  New  York,  the  old  Rescue 
was  refitted  as  an  attending  schooner. 

By  this  time  men  in  various  parts  of  the  country  became  interested  in 
the  new  movement,  and  letters  of  encouragement  were  pouring  in  to  the 
adventurous.journalist,  while  more  substantial  tokens  of  interest  and  re- 
gard were  received  from  several  sources.  Still  Mr.  Hall's  purse  was  low, 
and  his  needs  great.  He  presented  his  cause  to  private  individuals;  he 
went  before  geographical  and  scientific  societies,  and  wherever  a  dollar 
could  be  secured,  there  this  determined  man  of  the  future  was  to  be 
found. 

As  has  been  intimated,  the  success  of  this  voyage  was  due  more  to 
the  generous-hearted  »and  courageous  explorer,  Henry  Grinnell,  than  to 
any  other  one  person.  Mr.  Grinnell  assisted  with  money,  with  cheering 
words,  with  wholesome  advice,  and  with  his  superior  influence.  Mr. 
Hall's  bluht  manner,  determined  look  and  thorough  knowledge  con- 
vinced the  merchant  that  no  man  was  better  fitted  to  undertake  this  dan- 


LEAVES  NEW  LONDON. 


547 


gerous  expedition,  nor  did  adverse   opinions,  limited    means,  and   the  ill 
success  of  past  voyages  deter  him  a  moment  from  giving  all  the  aid  pos- 
sible, and    finally  from  seeing  the   brave  crew  aboard   the  north-bound 
vessels,  filled  with  the  hope  of  great  discoveries. 


CHARLES  FRANC TS  HALL. 


It  was  May  29,  1860,  when  Charles  Francis  Hall,  on  Aboard  the 
George  Henry,  sailed  from  New  London,  Conn.,  for  the  Arctic  regions. 
His  heart  was  sad  at  leaving  friends,  home  and  country,  whom  he  might 


548  SEA   SltKNESS. 

never  see  again,  but  filled  with  the  great  purpose  which  had  driven  him 
from  his  Ohio  fireside,  and  out  upon  the  unknown  sea  of  discovery. 
Around  him  were  gathei'ed  the  George  Henry's  crew,  with  Capt.  Bud- 
dington,  an  old  Arctic  sea  captain,  at  their  head,  and  many  stout  hearts 
among  their  number. 

The  Rescue  was  to  keep  in  sight  of  the  other  vessel,  if  possible,  and 
lend  assistance  when  such  might  be  required.  There  were  twenty-nine 
individuals  on  the  two  ships,  besides  Mr.  Hall  and  an  Esquimaux  by  the 
name  of  Kudlago.  The  means  had  not  been  sufficient  to  supply  the 
expedition  with  many  articles  needed,  but  everything  that  was  absolutely 
necessary  had  been  secured.  This  included  instruments  for  scientific 
investigations,  provisions  for  crew,  presents  of  beads,  shirts,  and  trinkets 
for  natives,  and  a  large  sledge. 

The  winds  were  favorable  on  the  first  day  out,  and.  the  two  vessels 
skipped  over  the  blue  Atlantic  as  though  in  high  glee  at  being  once 
[more  upon  the  broad  ocean,  with  such  an  extensive  field  for  sport  be- 
fore them.  Most  of  the  crew  had  been  on  northern  trips,  and  all  were 
sailors  of  experience.  Mr.  Hall,  however,  was  taking  his  first  voyage 
upon  the  ocean,  and  hence  began  soon  to  realize  the  bitter  experience 
of  a  much  shaken-up  physique.  This  sea-sickness  continued  for  several 
days,  during  which  time  the  brave  navigator  concerned  himself  more 
about  the  temperature  and  peaceful  condition  of  his  own  organism,  than 
about  the  Polar  seas.  Few  things  transpired,  indeed,  to  excite  the  at- 
tention during  the  first  few  days.  A  school  of  whales  blowing  water 
high  into  the  air  was  met  with,  but  the  crew  not  caring  to  tarry  on  the 
way,  no  harpoon  was  thrown  at  the  marine  monsters. 

About  the    1 3th  of  June  a   terrible   squall  struck  the    George  Henry, 
dashing  the  spray  in  wildest  fury,  and  almost  submerging   her   at   times, 
but  bravely  did  the   noble  ship   plow  through  the  deepest  trough,   climb 
'  the  mountain  waves,  and  come   out  of  the  wild   warring  elements  unin- 
jured and  undismayed. 

Although  well  shaken,  all  on  board  enjoyed  the  excitement,  and, 
when  again  they  were  skimming  along  over  a  beautiful  clear  sea,  no 
merrier  crowd  of  mariners  could  be  found.  On  June  2 1  Mr.  Hall  re- 


ICEBERGS— NORTHERN    LIGHTS.  549 

marked  the  thermometer  falling,  and  predicted  the  nearness  of  icebergs. 
Capt.  Buddington,  and  an  old  tar  by  the  name  of  Sterry,  however, 
laughed  at  the  idea  of  seeing  those  Arctic  travelers  so  soon.  The  ex- 
plorer maintained  his  position,  which,  indeed,  was  verified  about  ten 
o'clock  that  night.  When  the  huge  spectral  figure  arose  from  the  bo-r 
som  of  the  deep,  and  stood  erect  to  the  height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet, 
no  grander  spectacle  had  ever  been  witnessed  by  many  aboard  the  vessels. 
To  see  a  massive  crystalized  form  shining  in  the  moonlight,  and  moving 
majestically,  but  noiselessly  along,  as  though  propelled  by  fairy  hand 
reaching  down  from  whence  it  had  come,  was  a  sight  calculated  to 
awaken  the  sublimest  feelings  of  the  human  heart. 

After  this  it  became  no  longer  a  rare  occurrence  to  meet  with  these 
monster  messengers  from  above.  They  were  seen  in  all  shapes,  and  of 
all  sizes. 

Nor  were  icebergs  the  only  objects  that  now  enlivened  the  view. 
Ever  and  anon  a  huge  black  form  would  be  seen  gliding  slowly  along 
beneath  the  surface,  in  a  few  instances  100  feet  long.  To  one  who  had 
never  before  seen  marine  animals  of  any  size,  the  sight  of  these  mon- 
archs  of  the  deep  was  thrilling  in  the  extreme.  Thus  day  after  day 
sped,  and  night  after  night  settled  over  the  voyagers;  each  day  and  each 
night  bringing  sights  never  witnessed  before.  It  was  on  June  26, 
while  the  explorer  was  out  upon  the  deck  enjoying  the  scenery,  about 
midnight,  that  the  "  Northern  Lights"  suddenly  flashed  on  his  vision. 
Startled  at  first  by  such  a  phenomenon,  he  at  length  began  to  reflect 
upon  the  cause.  It  was  not  the  Aurora  Borealis — not  an  electrical  dis- 
play of  atmospheric  fireworks — merely  the  reflection  from  a  northern 
sun  long  after  its  .retirement  below.  Theory  had  taught  it,  science 
had  discussed  its  probability,  but  few  eyes,  indeed,  had  ever  witnessed 
such  a  sight — the  entire  north  being  all  ablaze  with  a  flood  of  golden 
glory.  Old  Sol,  loth  to  leave  a  world  so  much  in  need  of  his  presence, 
had  sent  back  a  last  bright  smile  to  cheer  the  hearts  of  those  whom  he 
had  forsaken. 

On  the  morning  of  June  27,  the  cry  of,  "A  sail!  a  sail!"  was  heard. 
Immediately  all  hands  were  on  deck,  eagerly  gazing  in  the  direction  of 


550  DEATH  OF  KUDLAGO. 

i 

the  sighted  craft.  The  American  colors  were  run  up  on  the  George 
Henry,  and  were  soon  acknowledged  by  the  approaching  vessel,  which 
carried  the  Danish  flag.  By  the  aid  of  a  powerful  glass  Mr.  Hall  dis- 
covered the  name  of  the  visitor  to  be  Marianne.  He  at  once  remembered 
this  to  have  been  the  name  of  the  vessel  which  conveyed  Dr.  Kane  and 
crew  from  Greenland  to  New  York  after  their  memorable  voyage  several 
years  before.  Denmark  annually  sends  a  vessel  to  Greenland  to  carry 
provisions  and  necessary  articles  to  her  subjects  upon  that  lonely  island. 
The  Marianne  had  been  on  such  an  errand  at  this  time,-  and  was  just 
returning  to  her  native  port. 

The  sight  of  a  friendly  sail,  the  sound  of  a  human  voice,  though 
heard  from  the  throat  of  a  trumpet  miles  away,  was  a  relief  to  the  Arc- 
tic-bound crew  which  only  those  in  similar  circumstances  could  possibly 
appreciate. 

From  this  day  until  the  time  when  the  George  Henry  dropped 
anchor  off  Holsteinborg,  Greenland,  little  occurred  worthy  of  note.  One 
circumstance,  however,  of  great  importance  to  the  navigators,  must  not 
be  omitted,  viz.,  the  death  of  Kudlago,  the  Esquimaux.  He  had  con- 
tracted a  severe  cold  when  a  few  days  out  from  New  London,  and  never 
recovered.  All  the  crew  felt  greatly  attached  to  this  queer-looking,  but 
kind-hearted  specimen  of  the  genus  homo,  and  when  his  spirit  took  its 
flight  a  general  feeling  of  sadness  pervaded  the  entire  company.  Proper 
services  were  held  over  his  remains — Mr.  Hall  conducting  the  religious 
exercises — and  then  the  mortal  part  of  Kudlago  was  lowered  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  sunk  into  the  bosom  of  the  deep. 

Fogs  and  ill  winds  kept  the  two  vessels  away  from  their  destination 
on  the  Greenland  coast  until  July  7,  1860,  when  they  cast  anchor  in 
the  beautiful  harbor  of  Holsteinborg.  Forty  days  and  forty  nights  had 
they  been  out  upon  a  perilous  sea,  where  constant  watching  and  the 
utmost  care  had  to  be  exercised  to  avoid  being  wrecked  upon  icebergs, 
or  dashed  to  pieces  by  the  furies  of  a  northern  storm,  and  the  sight  of 
land  was  hailed  with  great  delight. 

When  the  crews  of  the  Rescue  and  George  Henry  had  planted  their 
feet  once  more  upon  dry  land,  surrounded  with  wandering  Esquimaux, 


AT  HOLSTEINBORG.  551 

the  sense  of  loneliness  felt  while  out  upon  the  ocean  immediately 
vanished,  and  a  feeling  of  thankfulness  and  satisfaction  took  pos- 
session of  each  heart.  More  than  a  thousand  miles  had  been  traversed 
in  one  of  the  most,  dangerous  seas  of  the  globe.  But  they  had  come 
safely  through.  They  beheld  with  their  own  eyes,  and  touched  with 
their  own  feet,  the  far-famed  Greenland  of  the  north.  They  at  last 
stood  upon  the  shores  of  that  country  unknown  to  the  civilized  world 
until  the  tenth  century,  and  almost  undeveloped  since  that  time. 

The  first  place  which  Mr.  Hall  visited  was  the  governor's  mansion. 
Said  mansion  was  not  so  palatial  as  could  be  found  in  portions  of 
Europe  or  the  United  States,  as  it  consisted  of  but  three  or  four  rooms, 
and  these  all  on  the  first  floor.  But  everything  was  found  to  be  neat 
and  cleanly,  as,  indeed,  were  all  the  houses  in  this  far-ofF  town  of  Hol- 
steinborg.  Governor  Elberg  had  lived  here  for  a  number  of  years,  re- 
ceiving a  regular  salary  from  the  Danish  Government.  His  wife  and 
child  had  departed  from  Copenhagen  but  a  short  time  previous  to  the 
arrival  of  our  explorers,  and  the  governor  was  rejoicing  over  the  pros- 
pect of  having  his  family  with  him,  when  the  news  reached  Greenland 
that  the  vessel  had  been  wrecked,  and  the  loved  ones  lost  in  the  cruel  sea. 

Mr.  Hall  found  the  governor  a  remarkably  pleasant  gentleman, 
obliging  and  courteous.  Everything  was  done  for  the  comfort  and  enter- 
tainment of  the  visitors  which  could  be  devised.  Information  regarding 
the  island  and  natives,  histories  of  former  navigators,  and  assistance  in 
repairing  the  George  Henry,  were  gladly  given  by  the  genial  governor. 
Mr.  Hall  found  that  there  were  only  ten  Europeans  in  Holsteinborg^ 
although  there  were  two  hundred  and  fifty  in  all  Greenland.  A  priest 
and  two  school  teachers  were  among  the  inhabitants,  and  a  very 
flattering  development  in  morals  and  education  was  found.  Boys 
and  girls,  many  of  them  younger  than  are  usually  found  in  our  public 
schools,  had  been  taught  to  read  and  write,  and  their  proficiency  was 
marvelous. 

During  a  stay  of  eighteen  days  among  the  inhabitants  of  Holsteinborg 
our  heroes  attended  divine  worship,  several  sessions  of  school,  and  many 
dances.  The  latter  were  considered  by  the  natives  the  highest  form  of 


552  CONTINUOUS  DAT. 

amusement.  Nor  were  they  much  less  appreciated  by  our  rough  and 
ready  sailor  boys,  who,  with  their  fair  Esquimaux  partners,  "  tripped 
the  light  fantastic  toe  "  after  the  most  approved  style.  Most  of  these  en- 
tertainments were  given  on  shore,  but  before  departing  preparations  were 
made  on  shipboard  for  a  grand  ball.  Accordingly,  when  the  day  set 
for  the  party  had  arrived,  the  kayaks  of  the  natives  began  to  shoot  out 
from  the  shore,  and  long  before  the  appointed  time,  nearly  every  family 
of  Holsteinborg  was  represented  on  the  George  Henry.  The  sailors 
took  to  the  sport  with  eagerness,  and  even  the  long-bearded  Hall  himself, 
although  he  had  never  before  engaged  in  such  amusement,  was  induced 
to  swell  the  number  of  dancers.  Thus  the  hours  sped  away.  Before 
leaving  the  ship,  however,  the  company  from  shore  joined  in  singing 
several  Danish  church  hymns — a  practice  which  might  not  result  in  evil 
among  more  civilized  dancers. 

But  the  time  had  come  for  leaving  this  delightful  shore.  Many 
friendships  had  been  formed  and  many  eyes  were  moistened  at  the  thought 
of  separation.  The  stern  duties  of  exploration,  however,  demanded  their 
onward  march,  and  on  July  24th,  amid  a  large  number  of  natives  and 
Europeans,  after  many  hand-shakings  and  exchanges  of  presents,  the 
noble  thirty  repaired  to  their  ships,  and  were  soon  stemming  the  tide  up 
Baffin's  Bay. 

The  travelers  turned  their  course  toward  Northumberland  Inlet.  The 
first  day  forcibly  reminded  them  of  the  dangers  to  which  they  were  sub- 
jected, as  the  sky  became  overcast  and  quite  a  gale  blew  for  awhile,  but 
the  worst  of  its  fury  passed  over.  Icebergs  of  every  description  were 
floating  about,  many  of  which  were  of  the  most  fantastic  and  beautiful 
design.  The  third  day  witnessed  a  heavy  snowstorm.  However,  when 
the  clouds  permitted  the  sun's  rays  to  reach  the  earth,  the  effect  was  fre- 
quently the  most  delightful  and  startling.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
the  explorers  were  now  in  that  portion  of  our  globe  where  there  is  per- 
petual day  for  a  large  portion  of  the  year,  during  which  time  the  sun 
never  disappears  below  the  horizon.  Mr.  Hall  graphically  describes  the 

day  that  noted  old  Sol's  non-inclination  to  go  out  of  sight,  when  the  en- 

• 
tire  crew  stood  upon  the  deck  at  midnight  and  watched  him  descend  to 


REFRACTION. 


553 


the  horizon  and  then  slowly  begin  his  march  up  the  rugged  mountains 
of  the  skies.  The  peculiar  laws  of  reflection  and  refraction  were 
most  beautifully  verified  and  illustrated.  In  our  works  on  physics  we 
study  theories,  and  demonstrate  what  might  come  to  pass  under  certain 
circumstances,  little  realizing,  however,  that  these  circumstances  really 
exist,  and  that  the  results  are  beheld  by  people  on  some  point 
of  our  sphere.  The  crews  of  the  Rescue  and  George  Henry  actually 
beheld  mountains  apparently  high  up  in  the  sky,  which  were  from 
seventy-five  to  one  hundred  miles  away.  The  sun's  rays  were  so 

refracted  as  to  pick  up 
these  mountains,  which 
would  otherwise  have 
been  invisible  at  such  a 
great  distance,  because 
of  the  rotundity  of  the 
earth,  and  plant  them 
high  above  the  horizon, 
where  the  awe-stricken 
sight-seers  could  gaze 
upon  their  monstrous 
forms  at  their  leisure. 

Nor  was  this  the  only 
phenomenon.       By     the 
same   laws  of  refraction 
CAPT.  SIDNEY  o.  BUDDiNGTON.  the   moon   at   first  sight 

appeared  all  broken  and  distorted;  islands  clothed  with  verdure  were 
seen  in  the  heavens;  inverted  icebergs,  like  huge  pyramids  standing 
upon  the  apex,  and  even  the  vast  sea  itself,  had  apparently  shifted  its 
position  to  the  clouds,  while  the  most  gorgeous  colors  bedecked  the 
entire  assemblage  of  earthly  visitors,  like  an  oriental  fairy-land  plumed 
out  in  its  most  extravagant  array. 

One  morning  the  crew  of  the  George  Henry  were  surprised  to  hear 
the  cry,  "  Ship-a-hoy!  "  from  the  watch.  The  strange  vessel  soon  came 
within  shouting  distance,  when  the  following  conversation  took  place: 


554  THE  RUNAWAYS. 

"Who  are  you?"    cried  Capt.  Buddington. 

"Crew  from  the  Ansell  Gibbs,  of  New  Bedford,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Where  from,  and  bound  to  what  port,"  cried  the  Captain. 

"  From  the  north  and  bound  to  the  south,"  came  the  answer. 

"  You  are  runaways,  are  you  not?"  thundered  Capt.  B. 

"  Yes,  we  are,"  was  the  answer. 

"Why  did  you  leave  your  ship?  " 

"  Bad  treatment  on  board  and  nothing  to  eat." 
.   "  Do  you  know  how  far  it  is  to  the  United  States?"  asked  the  captain. 

"About  1500  miles,  we  have  reckoned,"  said  the  spokesman. 

"Are  you  all  old  sailors?"  was  asked. 

"  No;  only  two  of  us  have  ever  been  to  sea  before,"  was  the  reply. 

In  vain  did  Capt.  Buddington  and  Mr.  Hall  expostulate  with  them 
about  their  hazardous  undertaking.  They  were  bound  to  continue  their 
voyage.  Storms  and  icebergs  might  frighten  others,  but  these«American 
boys  were  fearfully  homesick,  and  notwithstanding  the  prospects  of  star- 
vation, of  freezing,  of  being  swallowed  by  some  sea  monster,  they  again 
took  their  departure,  and  were  soon  lost  to  view. 

It  is  not  possible  to  follow  these  reckless  seamen  in  their  little  boat, 
through  the  many  dreary  days  and  horrible  experiences  of  their  course. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  only  three  out  of  the  seven  ever  reached  their  native 
land.  One  of  these,  Thos.  Sullivan,  gave  an  account  of  their  misfortunes 
and  desperate  straits.  Driven  hither  and  thither,  without  food  and 
proper  clothing,  the  remaining  three  were  finally  picked  up  by  Es- 
quimaux, and  went  back  home.  While  wrecked  upon  an  unknown 
island  one  of  their  number  died,  when  the  rest  cut  the  flesh  from  his 
bones  and  ate  it.  Nor  was  this  the  most  horrible  circumstance.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  murder  another  of  the  crew.  A  terrible  fight 
ensued,  in  which  one  of  the  would-be  murderers  was  killed.  Their 
story  formed  a  fitting  termination  to  such  a  scene  of  insubordination  and 
bad  discipline. 

The  long-sought  bay  was  soon  approached,  and  preparations  made  to 
land.  As  soon  as  the  George  Henry  was  sighted  from  the  harbor,  five 
whalers  were  sent  out  from  the  Black  Eagle,  which  was  lying  at  anchor 


A    TRANSFORMATION.  555 

here,  and  soon  our  explorers  were  being  towed  in  by  these  smaller  boats. 
The  Rescue  had  landed  previously,  and  now  sent  one  of  her  whaling 
boats  to  assist  in  bringing  in  the  George  Henry. 

The  merry  laughter,  hearty  hand-shaking,  and  boisterous  shouts  from 
the  sailors  as  they  met  each  other  in  this  far-off  land,  evinced  the  genu- 
ine joy  of  such  a  meeting.  Capt.  Allen,  of  the  Black  Eagle,  with  two 
of  his  mates,  soon  rowed  out  to  the  incoming  vessel,  and  right  cordiallv 
were  our  heroes  welcomed  to  the  harbor  of  Grinnell  Bay.  About 
twelve  o'clock  on  the  8th  day  of  August,  the  George  Henry  cast  anchor 
safely  in  the  harbor. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  whaling  vessels  make  trips  to  this  far 
off  sea,  although  brave  and  skillful  must  be  the  navigator  who  is  willing 
to  risk  his  life  in  such  an  undertaking.  The  Black  Eagle  was  out  for 
this  purpose.  Its  crew  was  not  large,  but  fearless  of  anything  connected 
with  a  seafaring  life.  Then  the  sports  of  these  passages  were  more  nu- 
merous than  would  be  expected.  Acquaintances  were  always  formed 
with  Esquimaux,  which  proved  a  source  of  vast  enjoyment  to  the  wild 
and  reckless  crews  of  a  whaling  vessel. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  the  George  Henry's  arrival,  scores  of  good- 
natured  natives,  men  and  women,  came,  aboard,  manifesting  the  most  in- 
tense interest  in  the  new  comers;  but  never  touching  aught  which  be- 
longed to  the  vessel.  The  Esquimaux,  according  to  Hall,  are  scrupu- 
lously honest — not  so  scrupulously  clean.  A  little  circumstance  occurred 
at  this  time,  which  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  lack  of  this  latter  quality. 

Kudlago's  little  girl,  hearing  of  her  father's  death,  came  aboard  to  in- 
quire concerning  it.  Kudlago  had  thought  a  great  deal  of  his  little 
daughter,  and  had  filled  a  chest  with  various  bright  colored  articles  as 
presents  to  her  and  his  wife.  Accordingly,  when  the  little  one  came 
aboard,  Mr.  Hall  and  Capt.  B.  concluded  they  would  dress  her  in  Amer- 
ican costume.  But  the  task  of  transforming  this  daughter  of  the  forest 
involved  almost  as  much  labor  as  does  an  ordinary  transformation  of 
toilet  among  American  girls  farther  south.  Her  hair  had  never  been 
combed — a  marvelous  entanglement  and  mixture  of  moss,  seal,  and  rein- 
deer hair  all  matted  together  with  compounds  of  unknown  nature.  Nor 


556  A   NEW   USE   OF   THE    TONGUE. 

was  her  head  the  only  portion  which  needed  attention.  Layer  after 
layer  of  northern  mother  earth  had  accumulated  upon  her  face  and 
hands,  which  required  much  soap  to  remove.  But  when,  after  due 
scrubbing  and  combing,  the  original  was  arrived  at,  no  more  beautiful 
child  could  have  been  found  between  the  25th  and  49th  degrees  of  north 
latitude.  Her  cheeks  were  as  red  as  roses,  her  lips  of  the  most  exquisite  out- 
line, and  her  eyes  of  "heaven's  own  hue."  Nor  had  the  outer  covering 
of  dirt  apparently  injured  her  health.  She  was  as  robust  and  full  of  life 
as  the  buxom  maiden  on  the  plains  of  Illinois,  or  the  mountains  of  the 
East.  Kimmiloo  was  the  name  of  this  romantic  maiden. 

When  Kimmiloo  came  out  of  the  cabin  all  gaudily  attired  in  a  red 
dress,  brass  rings,  fancifully  arranged  frills  and  furbelows,  her  Esqui- 
maux relations  and  friends  laughed,  shouted,  and  jumped  about,  greatly 
delighted  wfth  the  change  of  costume.  A  very  interesting  account  is 
given  of  a  blind  Esquimaux  called  Blind  George  by  the  sailors,  and 
Pan-loo-yer  by  the  natives.  He  claimed  to  be  an  expert  with  the  needle, 
and  indeed,  so  proved  himself.  Mr.  Hall  gave  him  a  garment  to  mend 
and  watched  his  manoeuvers.  George  took  the  needle  and  put  the  end 
containing  the  eye  between  his  teeth.  He  then  put  the  thread  upon  the 
tip  of  his  tongue.  With  his  tongue  he  brought  the  end  of  the  thread  in 
contact  with  the  needle  until  directly  it  struck  the  eye,  and  the  needle 
was  threaded!  Verily,  this  is  a  use  of  the  tongue  never  known  before. 

These  Esquimaux  showed  great  eagerness  to  become  acquainted  with 
American  mariners  and  language.  And  what  is  strange,  yet  nearly 
always  the  case,  words- of  profanity  and  obscenity  were  invariably  first 
learned.  When  one  of  them  could  not  pick  up  a  little  ball  of  mercury  that 
was  dancing  around,  he  said  it  had  the  devil  in  it.  Perhaps  this  is  to  be 
accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  these  words  were  heard  more  than  any  others 
among  the  sailors,  but  it  seems  a  coincidence  worthy  of  note  that  the 
same  is  true  in  the  case  of  every  foreigner  in  first  acquiring  the  English 
tongue. 


CHAPTER    LXII. 

CHAPPELL      INLET  —  A      GRIEF-STRICKEN      DAUGHTER A     DESERTED 

VILLAGE A    DELICACY — WRECK    OF    THE    RESCUE  —  THE    GEORG- 

IANA    SAVED CAPT.    PARKER TOOKOOLITO A  GENEROUS  OFFER 

A    SUDDEN     CHANGE A    STRANGE    CUSTOM IN    A    STARVING 

CONDITION ROBBED    BY    DOGS HALL    TAKES    UP    HIS    RESIDENCE 

WITH    INNUITS. 

On  the  iyth  the  ship  entered  Nu-gum-mi-uke  Bay,  which  was  found 
to  be  a  good  harbor,  and  where  she  remained  until  the  2ist.  During 
their  stay  the  crew  engaged  in  whaling,  and  Mr.  Hall  devoted  his  atten- 
tion to  the  natives,  and  to  visiting  some  of  the  islands  which  abounded  in 
the  bay.  Leaving  this  bay  the  captain  shaped  his  course  for  Frobisher 
Straits,  which  were  reached  the  following  day,  and  the  anchor  was 
dropped  in  a  beautiful  little  inlet  which  was  named  after  Richard  H. 
Chappell,  of  New  London,  Conn.  On  going  ashore  it  was  found  that 
they  were  separated  from  the  waters  just  left  by  a  strip  of  land  less  than 
a  mile  in  width,  and  which  was  so  low  that  high  tides  would  probably 
cover  it.  The  isthmus  was  sandy  in  portions,  while  in  others  it  was 
covered  with  rock  and  shale.  From  a  ridge  of  rocks  named  Morgan's 
Hill,  a  fine  view  of  the  beautiful  strait  was  enjoyed.  Facing  the  party 
was  the  celebrated  Strait  of  Frobisher,  and  beyond  it  in  the  distance, 
Meta  Incognita,  named  by  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  sailed  upon  by 
Frobisher  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  years  previously. 

Although  forty  miles  distant,  the  land  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
straits  was  clearly  seen,  and  had  the  appearance  of  being  topped  with  a 
long  line  of  ice  or  snow.  When  this  land  was  visited  several  months 
subsequently,  it  was  found  to  be  an  enormous  glacier,  which  was  named 
after  Henry  Grinnell.  To  the  west  the  mountains  seemed  to  unite  with 

the  narrow  strip,  and  a  week  later  it  was  learned  that  the  water  was  a 

557 


558  A   GRIEF-STRICKEN   DAUGHTER. 

bay,  and  not  a  strait.  Many  specimens  of  fossils  were  found  on  the  nar- 
row strip,  from  which  selections  were  made  and  taken  on  board. 

The  next  morning  the  Rescue  was  again  on  her  way  toward  the 
George  Henry,  having  a  narrow  escape  from  some  rocks  on  the  way  out 
of  the  bay.  During  the  afternoon  family  boats  of  the  natives,  filled  with 
women  and  men,  approached,  and  were  taken  on  deck.  Among  the 
visitors  was  Kudlago's  eldest  daughter,  a  beautiful  young  woman,  named 
Kok-er-zhun.  She  learned  of  her  father's  death  for  the  first  time  upon 
going  on  board,  and  was  grief-stricken. 

On  Friday,  Aug.  24th,  a  native  drew  for  Mr.  Hall  a  chart  of 
Northumberland  Inlet,  Bear  Sound,  and  adjacent  lands,  and  signified  a 
willingness  to  accompany  the  expedition  next  year.  On  the  following 
day  natives  who  had  visited  the  land  gave  assurance  that  Frobisher 
Strait  is  an  inlet  or  bav,  each  one  declaring  that  there  was  no  other  water 
communication  to  Fox's  Channel  except  through  Hudson's  Strait.  In 
examining  with  the  natives  the  charts  of  that  time,  many  inaccuracies 
were  found,  and  it  was  discovered  that  the  Esquimaux  possessed  a  won- 
derful knowledge  of  their  country;  in  fact,  any  of  them  can  delineate  to 
the  minutest  detail,  any  portion  of  the  country  once  visited  by  them,  and 
their  memory  is. remarkably  good;  so  that  from  the  information  imparted 
by  them  Hall  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  no  passage  existed  in  the 
direction  of  Frobisher  Strait. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3Oth  a  trip  was  made  to  a  large  island,  on 
which  was  found  a  deserted  Esquimaux  settlement  of  fifty  huts.  At  the 
time  the  settlement  was  visited  the  Esquimaux  had  abandoned  the  plan 
of  building  huts,  and  lived  entirely  in  snow  houses.  Another  curiosity 
noticed  here  was  a  dog-sledge,  used  by  the  natives  in  their  winter  excur- 
sions. It  was  ten  feet  in  length,  the  runners  of  one  and  a  half  inch 
plank,  and  shod  with  the  jaw  bone  of  the  whale.  The  width  was  thirty 
inches,  and  the  cross  bars  fastened  by  strings  of  whalebone.  The  Esqui- 
maux are  very  fond  of  the  skin  of  the  Greenland  whale,  which  they  eat 
raw,  as  they  do  also  the  meat  of  the  whale,  and  which  travelers  in  that 
region  consider  a  good  practice — at  least  for  the  better  preservation  of 
their  health.  The  whale  meat  is  described  as  being  "  white  and  delicious 


WRECK  OF  THE  RESCUE.  559 

as  the  breast  of  a  Thanksgiving  turkey."  The  Esquimaux  masticate  it 
,  by  getting  vast  pieces  into  their  distended  mouths,  and  then,  boa  constric- 
tor-like, first  lubricate  them,  and  so  swallow  them  quite  whole.  On  the 
5th  of  September  a  large  piece  of  what  was  supposed  to  be  iron  ore, 
weighing  nineteen  pounds,  was  found  on  Lookout  Island,  and  was  after- 
ward proved  to  be  a  relic  of  Frobisher's  Expedition. 

During  the  month  of  September,  up  to  the  latter  part,  nothing  of 
interest  occurred  to  the  expedition.  The  time  was  passed  principally  in 
making  short  trips  from  the  ship  in  various  directions,  in  the  course  of 
which  those  engaged  in  them  on  several  occasions  met  with  minor 
accidents  and  mishaps.  Quite  a  number  of  natives  visited  Mr.  Hall,  and 
during  their  stay  he  gained  from  tnem  much  valuable  information  for 
future  use. 

On  the  26th  light  winds  commenced  to  blow  from  the  north- 
east, steadily  increasing  in  force  until  the  following  day,  when  they  as- 
sumed the  proportions  of  a  gale,  being  accompanied  by  snow.  At  8 
o'clock  in  the  evening  all  the  anchors  were  let  go.  An  hour  later  the 
Rescue  commenced  dragging  her  anchors,  and  soon  after  the  Georgiana.' 
commanded  by  Capt.  Tyson,  was  in  the  same  predicament.  The  gale 
soon  increased  to  a  hurricane,  and  by  midnight  the  two  ships  named  were 
drifting  toward  the  rocks.  The  Georgiana  worried  around  a  point  on 
the  land  and  got  into  comparatively  smooth  water,  although  she  was  at 
last  grounded.  The  crew,  expecting  she  would  go  to  pieces,  deserted  , 
her  and  went  on  the  island.  The  Rescue  was  less  fortunate,  and  drifted 
helplessly  towarcl  the  rocks,  where  she  landed  on  her  broadsides.  The 
expedition  boat  upon  which  Mr.  Hall  depended  so  much,  was  also  torn 
from  her  moorings,  and  dashed  to  pieces.  When  morning  dawned  both 
vessels  were  seen  pounding  against  the  breakers,  and  assistance  was  im- 
mediately sent  them.  Capt.  Tyson  and  his  crew  were  removed  in  safety 
to  the  George  Henry.  The  storm  continued  with  unabated  fury  through- 
out the  day,  but  the  following  morning  the  gale  abated,  and  a  party  went 
ashore.  The  Rescue  was  found  to  be  a  total  wreck,  and  had  to  be  left  to 
go  to  pieces.  The  Georgiana  was  found  to  be  perfectly  tight  and  com- 
paratively uninjured,  and  her  crew  again  took  possession  of  her,  towed 


560  TOOKOOLITO. 

her  off  the  rocks,  and  once  more  anchored  her  in  deep  water.  The 
escape  of  the  George  Henry  was  almost  miraculous,  but  she  did  not  long 
survive  her  partner  in  adversity.  She  was  wrecked  July  16,  1863,  on 
one  of  the  lower  Savage  Islands  in  Hudson's  Strait,  about  one  hundred 
miles  further  south  than  Rescue  Harbor.  The  Georgiana  made  good 
her  defects,  and  on  October  ist  set  sail  for  Northumberland  Tnlel  to 
winter. 

During  the  months  of  October  and  November  the  time  passed  rather 
monotonously,  and' during  that  time  Mr.  Hall  devoted  most  of  his  time 
to  observations  of  the  display  of  aurora,  which  were  beautiful  beyond 
description.  On  the  I3th  of  October  the  expedition  was  startled  by  an  un- 
expected arrival.  A  steamer  and  a  bailing  vessel  came  up  from  the  sea, 
and  anchored  on  the  opposite  side  of  Field  Bay.  The  discovery  was 
soon  made  that  the  strangers  were  the  famous  Capt.  Parker,  of  the  True 
Love,  and  his  son,  commanding  the  steamship  Lady  Celia.  They  had 
made  the  trip  from  Cornelius  Grinnell's  Bay  in  less  than  a  day.  A  visit 
to  the  strangers  was  immediately  planned  and  executed.  When  seen  by 
Mr.  Hall,  Capt.  Parker  was  sixty-nine  years  old,  and  had  been  navigat- 
ing the  Arctic  regions  forty-five  years.  His  ship  at  that  time  was  a  hun- 
dred years  old,  was  built  in.  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  had  taken  part  in 
many  of  the  searching  expeditions.  Capt.  Parker  examined  the  plans  of 
the  expedition,  in  which  he  took  a  deep  interest,  and  promised  an  addi- 
jtional  boat,  which  was  much  needed  in  the  transportation  of  supplies, 
but  which  promise,  unfortunately,  was  never  fulfilled,  as  the  ships  were 
driven  to  sea  by  a  gale  a  few  days  later,  and  did  not  return. 

Mr.  Hall  relates  that  on  November  2  he  was  surprised  by  a  visit  of 
•  an  Esquimaux  lady,  dressed  in  European  habiliments  and  speaking  fluently 
the  English  language.  She  was  Tookoolito,  who,  with  her  husband 
Ebierbing,  had  spent  twenty  months  in  England,  where  she  had  made 
the  most  of  her  advantages.  Her  husband  was  less  accustomed  to  the 
English  tongue,  but  could  carry  on  a  conversation  in  that  language.  A 
visit  to  their  home  a  few  days  later  showed  a  happy  state  of  affairs.  The 
tent  was  as  comfortable  as  the  surroundings  could  make  it,  and  Tookoo- 
lito was  engaged  in  knitting  socks  for  her  husband.  Not  only  this,  but  she 


A   GENEROUS   OFFER.  561 

taught  all  who  wanted  to  learn  it  the  same  occupation,  and  had  succeeded 
in  inaugurating  quite  a  number  of  useful  European  habits  and  customs 
among  her  neighbors.  She  complained  that  many  of  the  whalers 
were  bad  men,  and  contaminated  the  natives.  She  complained  in  partic- 
ular of  the  Americans,  who  swore  more  and  worse  than  their  English 
brethren. 

While  on  shore  for  water  one  day  in  the  latter  part  of  October,  Mr. 
Hall  was  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  Esquimaux  worship.  Seeing 
an  excited  crowd  gathered  around  a  man  who  had  them  completely  Bun- 
der his  control,  and  made  them  obey  his  every  word  and  gesture,  he  was 
informed  that  this  important  personage  was  an  angeko,  or  wizard. 
Though  young  he  seemed  to  have  the  unbounded  confidence  of  the  na- 
tives, upon  whose  credulity  and  ignorance  he  lived  at  his  ease.  He  carried 
on  his  ceremonies  in  a  tent,  into  which  Mr.  Hall  was  taken  to  behold  the 
exhibition,  and  at  the  close  this  great  man  insisted  upon  giving  him  one 
of  his  wives;  to  which  proposition  the  women  assented,  each  one  trying 
to  make  herself  as  agreeable  to  the  stranger  as  possible. 

On  the  ipth  of  November  the  ice  from  the  head  of  the  bay  com- 
menced bearing  down  on  the  ship,  and  by  the  6th  of  the  following  month 
she  was  secured  in  the  solid  ice  for  the  winter,  and  the  boats  were  dis- 
mantled, not  to  be  used  again  for  about  nine  months. 

The  Esquimaux  lamp  is  one  of  the  institutions  peculiar  to  this  region. 
It  is  made  of  stone  and  is  supported  on  three  legs.  Without  it  they  could 
not  exist.  Their  homes  are  lighted  and  warmed  by  it;  it  melts  ice  or 
snow  for  their  drinks,  and  by  its  heat  they  dry  their  clothing,  mittens, 
boots,  and  stockings.  As  oil  seal  blubber  is  used,  and  forms  a  very  good 
substitute  for  petroleum. 

December  came  in  with  a  calm  which  continued  four  days.  On  the 
8th  the  thermometer  stood  at  zero,  and  a  day  later,  15°  below  that  point. 
The  ice  was  solid  around  the  ship  in  her  winter  quarters,  and  the  Esqui- 
maux visited  her  in  large  numbers  daily,  often  remaining  on  board  over 
night  and  sleeping  in  the  cabin.  They  went  on  various  errands — some 
merely  as  visitors,  some  to  see  what  they  could  secure  in  the  way  of 
presents,  and  others  to  do  some  trading,  The  last  mentioned  brought 


562  A   STRANGE   CUSTOM. 

with  them  skins  which  they  exchanged  for  knives  and  other  articles. 
The  dresses  made  by  the  Innuit  women  were  of  a  superior  quality  in 
every  respect,  and  found  a  ready  sale  on  board. 

The  temperature  changed  very  suddenly  as  the  month  drew  to  a 
close.  On  the  i9th  the  thermometer  was  20°  below  zero,  and  the  ba- 
rometer 30. 1 75,  yet  the  weather  was  calm  and  seemed  no  colder  than  at 
the  commencement  of  the  season,  when  the  thermometer  stood  at  32°. 
On  the  2Oth  the  thermometer  had  risen  to  5°  below  zero  early  in  the 
morning,  and  kept  rising  until  night,  when  it  indicated  14°  above,  with 
a  gale  blowing  and  a  general  breaking  up  of  the  ice  in  Field  Bay,  and 
the  harbor  in  which  the  ship  was  laid  up.  On  the  2ist  the  thermometer 
stood  21°,  and  the  bay  was  almost  clear  of  ice.  Considerable  rain  fell 
during  the  night,  and  next  morning  the  thermometer  was  32^°,  or  a 
half  degree  above  the  freezing  point.  This  placed  the  natives  in  a  sad 
plight.  It  demolished  their  snow  houses,  and  rendered  them  homeless. 
The  rain  continued  on  the  22d,  preventing  the  natives  from  seal  fishing, 
and  causing  much  distress  among  them.  What  food  could  be  spared 
from  the  ship  was  distributed  among  them,  and  cracklings,  which  had 
been  taken  along  as  dog  feed,  were  considered  a  great  delicacy.  On  the 
3Oth  of  December  the  thermometer  had  again  retired  to  zero,  and  six 
days  later  was  28°  below  that  point.  The  bay  and  harbor  were  again 
covered  with  ice,  and  the  men  resumed  their  seal  fishing. 

About  this  time  it  was  discovered  that  the  natives  treat  their  friends 
with  the  utmost  neglect  when  they  are  overtaken  by  sickness.  When 
death  approaches,  a  tomb  is  erected  for  the  victim,  to  which  he  or  she  is 
carried,  placed  within,  the  entrance  closed  with  blocks  of  snow  and  ice, 
and  the  person  is  left  in  this  living  tomb  to  die  alone,  uncared  for. 
They  believe  that  should  any  be  present  at  the  death,  they  must  discard 
the  clothes  then  worn,  and  never  wear  them  again.  The  funeral  service 
is  very  simple.  The  corpse  is  carried  over  the  shoulder,  much  as  a 
sportsman  carries  his  gun,  to  its  final  resting  place,  where  a  hole  is  dug 
in  the  snow  and  ice,  in  which  it  is  deposited,  covered  up,  and  left  there. 

Having  determined  upon  an  exploration  trip  to  Cornelius  Grinnell 
Bay,  Mr.  Hall,  in  company  with  Ebierbing,  Tookoolito,  and  Koodk>o, 


A  STORM.  563 

started  on  Thursday,  Jan.  10,  by  sledge  and  dogs,  with  provisions  for 
several  days.  When  they  reached  the  shore  they  started  north,  and  late 
in  the  afternoon  neared  the  frozen  waters  of  the  ocean,  on  the  margin  of 
which  the  cliffs  were  almost  perpendicular,  making  it  necessary  for  the 
party  to  lower  the  sledge  down  to  the  ice  below.  The  journey  was  con- 
tinued until  5  P.  M.,  when  the  party  halted,  erected  an  ice  hut,  and 
camped  for  the  night.  Every  article  on  the  sledge  was  taken  in,  and 
the  entrance  closed,  the  dogs  being  left  outside.  During  each  night  in 
these  huts  the  clothing  of  the  occupants  is  hung  over  the  lamp  for  dry- 
ing, and  carefully  attended  to  by  the  women,  who  also  make  any  neces- 
sary repairs.  This  was  Mr.  Hall's  first  night  in  one  of  these  huts,  and 
he  records  that  he  slept  as  comfortably  as  he  could  wish. 

The  journey  was  resumed  in  the  morning.  The  course  was  due 
north,  but  owing  to  the  innumerable  hummocks  in  the  ice  it  was  not 
direct,  and  the  party  only  made  five  miles  during  the  day.  It  was  ex- 
pected that  the  journey  would  be  made  in  one  day,  but  the  obstacles  were 
so  great  that  the  second  night  found  them  far  away  from  their  destina- 
tion. To  add  to  the  complications  a  storm  came  up,  and  they  had  just 
secured  shelter  when  it  burst  upon  them  in  all  its  fury,  in  their  ice  abode 
on  the  frozen  sea.  It  continued  all  night  long,  and  on  the  third  morning 
of  their  journey  they  found  it  impossible  to  proceed.  In  the  afternoon  it 
was  discovered  that  the  ice  was  breaking,  and  the  water  made  its  ap- 
pearance not  more  than  ten  rods  from  them.  They  became  seriously 
alarmed,  and  consulted  as  to  whether  they  should  attempt  to  reach  the 
land,  which  was  three  miles  distant,  or  remain  in  their  quarters  and  take 
the  chance  of  being  carried  out  to  sea.  They  decided  upon  the  latter 
course,  and  eagerly  awaited  the  coming  of  another  day.  The  gale 
abated  about  10  p.  M.,  and  in  the  morning  the  weather  was  favorable. 
Proceeding  on  their  way,  they  had  every  difficulty  to  contend  with.  The 
ice  had  given  away  in  every  direction.  The  snow  was  very  deep  and 
treacherous,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  the  sledge  could  be 
moved  so  as  to  guard  it  against  falling  into  some  snow-covered  ice-crack. 
The  dogs  also  were  in  a  starving  condition.  Each  member  of  the  party 
took  the  lead  by  turns,  to  guard  against  the  dangers  which  beset  them, 


564  ROBBED  BT  DOGS. 

and  to  find  a  track  through  the  hummocks  which  met  them  on  all  sides. 
By  2  P.  M.  the  entire  party  were  in  such  an  exhausted  condition  that 
they  were  compelled  to  halt  and  partake  of  their  now  very  slender  stock 
of  provisions.  After  this  they  pi'oceeded  with  renewed  vigor,  reaching  the 
shore  ice  in  safety,  and  in  a  short  time  they  were  alongside  of  Ugarng's 
igloo  (ice  hut),  built  on  the  southwest  side  of  Rogers'  Island,  overlook- 
ing Cornelius  Grinnell  Bay. 

On  the  following  day,  Jan.  15,  the  explorations  commenced.  Rab- 
bit tracks  were  discovered  on  the  hills,  and  in  the  distance  were  seen 
the  prominent  headlands  noticed  on  the  first  arrival  of  the  ship.  In  the 
meantime  the  provisions  gave  out,  and  the  party  found  themselves 
without  food  or  light,  with  the  thermometer  25°  below  zero.  The  na- 
tives met  with  no  success  in  hunting  or  seal  fishing,  but  brought  to  the 
hut  with  them  some  black  skin  and  kuang,  which  they  had  obtained 
from  a  cache  made  the  previous  fall  by  the  natives,  when  the  ship  was 
in  the  bay.  At  noon  next  day  a  heavy  snowstorm  set  in,  which  con- 
tinued nearly  four  days,  confining  the  party  to  the  hut,  and  compelling 
them  to  live  on  raw  frozen  black  skin,  kuang,  and  seal. 

On  Sunday,  the  2Oth,  they  were  in  a  sad  state  from  actual  want  of 
food.  The  weather  continued  so  forbidding  that  nothing  could  be  ob- 
tained by  hunting.  At  8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Hall  and  Kood- 
loo,  one  of  his  native  companions,  started  to  return  to  the  ship  with 
a  sledge,  and  twelve  nearly  starved  dogs.  A  speedy  trip  was  antici- 
pated, but  the  difficulties  encountered  were  so  great  that  Ebierbing  'fol- 
lowed them  on  snow  shoes,  and  taking  his  place,  sent  Mr.  Hall  back  to 
the  huts  to  await  their  return.  The  supply  of  food  was  exhausted  with- 
out any  apparent  prospect  of  obtaining  a  supply.  Christmas  eve  found 
the  party  with  nothing  left  but  a  piece  of  black  skin,  one  and  a  quarter 
inch  wide,  two  inches  long,  and  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick.  Dur- 
ing the  night  one  of  the  natives  came  to  the  hut  with  some  choice  mor- 
sels cut  from  a  seal  which  he  had  just  caught,  but  he  had  no  sooner  en- 
tered than  a  starving  dog  which  had  been  allowed  to  sleep  in  the  hut 
over  night,  sprang  at  the  meat  and  ate  a  fair  share,  of  it.  Before  the 
party  recovered  from  their  surprise,  the  remaining  hungry  dogs  made  a 


APPEARANCE  OF  SCURVT.  565 

rush  from  the  outside  and  devoured  the   remainder.     The  next  mornin<r 

o 

Ebierbing  arrived  from  the  ship  with  supplies,  and  a  seal  weighing  at 
least  two  hundred  pounds,  thereby  raising  the  siege  of  starvation  by  sup- 
plying the  wants  of  all.  A  letter  from  one  of  the  officers  of  the  ship 
stated  that  the  exploring  party  had  been  given  up  for  lost  in  the  great 
storm  which  they  encountered  on  their  journey. 

In  speaking  of  the  Innuit  people,  Mr.  Hall  says  they  are  noted  chiefly 
for  their  thoughtlessness  and  improvidence.  When  they  have  an  abund- 
ant supplv  of  food  they  devour  it  all  as  fast  as  they  can  without  consid- 
ering that  on  the  day  .following  they  may  be  in  absolute  want,  and  no 
course  of  reasoning  can  induce  them  to  change  in  this  respect. 

February  16  Mr.  Hall  once  more  started  on  an  exploring  expedi- 
tion, arriving  the  same  afternoon  at  Clark's  Harbor,  and  proceeding  at 
once  to  Allen's  Island,  where  he  remained  two  days  at  Ugarng's  igloo, 
curiously  watching  the  various  efforts  made  to  sustain  and  enjoy  life  by 
the  singular  people  of  the  north.  He  spent  forty-two  nights  in  an 
igloo,  living  with  the  natives  most  of  their  time  on  their  food  according 
to  their  own  customs,  and  said  he  had  no  regrets  in  looking  back  upon 
his  experience,  but  on  the  contrary,  enjoyed  his  life  so  spent  as  well  as 
he  did  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances.  On  the  2ist  he  bade 
adieu  to  his  Innuit  friends  and  started  on  his  return  to  the  ship,  accom- 
panied by  Ebierbing,  Ugarng  and  Kunniu,  taking  with  them  the  sledge 
and  dogs.  The  journey  was  devoid  of  accident  or  excitement,  and  the 
party  reached  the  ship  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day. 

A  number  of  the  natives  had  built  igloos  on  the  ice  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  ship,  but  at  that  time  they  were  deserted  for  the  fishing  grounds  at 
Frobisher  Bay.  When  he  visited  the  crew  the  next  day,  Mr. 
Hall  found  two  of  the  men  afflicted  with  scurvy,  the  legs  of  one  of 
them  from  the  knees  down  being  as  black  as  tar.  Both  of  them  were 
sent  to  Frobisher  Bay  to  live  with  the  natives  in  their  igloos,  in  the  hope 
that  it  would  effect  a  cure. 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

A    DEER    KILLED    BY    DOGS FROZEN    TO    DEATH THE    APPROACH    OF 

SPRING BAYARD    TAYLOR    PASS A    NATIVE    HISTORIAN THE 

BREEDING    PLACE    OF    THE    DEER THE    "DREADED    LAND  " SUB- 
SISTENCE   IN    ARCTIC    REGIONS AN    UNSAFE    BOAT AN    IMPOR- 

• 
TANT   JOURNEY    POSTPONED. 

One  morning  early  in  March  one  of  the  men  reported  reindeer  in 
sight  upon  the  ice.  Koojesse  was  armed  with  a  rifle,  and  sent  in  pursuit. 
He  succeeded  in  getting  a  shot,  but  missed.  This  roused  the  dogs  and 
they  immediately  gave  chase,  in  spite  of  all  efforts  to  restrain  them.  A 
fine  Greenland  animal  soon  took  the  lead,  and  maintained  it.  Soon  all 
were  lost  to  sight  and  nothing  further  was  thought  of  the  matter  until 
the  dog  returned  to  the  ship  about  mid-day,  covered  with  blood.  His 
actions  led  a  number  of  the  men  to  follow  him  on  the  ice,  and  he  led 
them  to  a  spot  where  they  found  a  dead  deer,  with  its  jugular  and  wind- 
pipe neatly  cut  by  the  fangs  of  the  dog,  a  feat  never  known  to  have  been 
accomplished  by  a  dog  before. 

On  the  iyth  of  March  John  Brown,  one  of  the  scurvy  patients, 
determined  to  return  to  the  ship  with  some  natives  who  were  about  to 
make  the  journey,  and  started  with  them.  On  the  way  they  were  com- 
pelled to  stop  and  cache  some  of  their  supplies,  and,  becoming  impatient 
over  the  delay,  Brown  decided  to  proceed  alone.  No  amount  of  reason- 
ing or  persuasion  would  make  him  desist,  and  with  a  dog  to  guide  him, 
he  started  on  his  journey.  The  same  night  the  natives  arrived  at  the  ship 
and  retired.  The  next  morning  Brown  was  missed,  and  parties  were  at 
once  sent  out  in  search  of  him.  He  was  not  found  until  late  in  the  eve- 
ning, when  his  frozen  body  was  discovered  at  the  foot  of  an  iceberg 
seventeen  miles  from  the  ship. 

Nothing  especially  worthy  of  note   occurred  until  March   28,   when 

566 


APPROACH  OF  SPRING.  567 

Bruce,  the  companion  of  Brown,  came  very  near  meeting  a  similar  fate. 
He  was  still  afflicted  with  scurvy,  and  had  been  again  sent  to  an  Innuit 
settlement.  On  the  morning  of  the  day  mentioned  he  determined  upon 
returning  to  the  ship.  He  was  accompanied  by  an  Innuit  woman,  and 
had  it  not  been  for  her  strenuous  exertions  he  would  certainly  have  lost 
his  life.  On  the  same  day  Mate  Rogers  started  for  the  whaling  depot 
at  Frobisher  Bay,  taking  with  him  such  articles  as  were  required  for 
spring  operations,  and  a  sledge  and  dogs,  driven  by  Koojesse.  The  jour- 
ney was  made  without  difficulty  until  noon,  when  a  gale,  accompanied 
by  thick-falling  snow,  set  in,  and  they  were  compelled  to  retrace  their 
steps.  After  battling  the  storm  for  ten  hours  they  reached  the  goal,  more 
dead  than  alive. 

About  this  time  there  were  unmistakable  evidences  of  the  approach 
of  spring,  and  on  April  8  the  cooking  apparatus  and  other  materials 
were  moved  up  from  their  winter  quarters  below,  and  four  days  later  the 
weather  was  described  as  being  so  "  gloriously  fine"  that  Capt.  Hall 
made  a  trip  up  Buddington  Mount,  which  was  described  as  very  dan- 
gerous on  account  of  the  steepness  of  the  incline,  and  its  hard,  snow- 
covered  sides.  Three  days  later  a  long  tramp  was  taken  round  the  head 
of  Field  Bay,  for  triangulating  and  making  observations,  and  on  April 
1 6  Capt.  Hall  made  his  first  lunar  observation.  Four  days  afterward 
the  snow  embankment  around  the  ship  was  removed,  and  the  crew  com- 
menced putting  her  in  complete  order  for  service. 

On  the  morning  of  Monday,  April  22,  Capt.  Hall  started  upon  his 
first  trip  into  Frobisher  Bay.  The  course  from  the  ship  was  westerly  to 
the  other  side  of  Field  Bay,  from  whence  they  went  over  a  mountain 
pass  which  was  named  after  Bayard  Taylor.  After  passing  through  a 
gorge  they  arrived  at  a  small  inlet  leading  up  from  an  arm  of  Countess 
of  Warwick  Sound.  After  traversing  the  inlet  a  very  short  distance 
they  came  to  an  abrupt  turn  in  the  mountain,  and  caught  sight  of  Fro- 
bisher Bay,  and  the  mountains  of  Kingaite  beyond.  Proceeding  to  one 
of  the  islands  they  remained  with  an  Innuit  family  all  night.  Next  morn- 
ing Capt.  Hall  ascended  to  the  summit  of  a  mountain  close  by,  from 
whence  he  had  a  fine  view  of  the  bay,  but  was  disappointed  in  discover- 


568  A   NATIVE  HISTORIAN. 

ing  that  the  ice  had  broken  up  on  its  surface,  which  would  prevent  him 
from  making  his  contemplated  sledge-journey  to  the  westward.  He  also 
saw  from  his  pinnacle  Resolution  Island  and  Meta  Incognita.  Many 
small  pieces  of  limestone  were  found  on  top  of  the  mountain.  De- 
scending he  again  passed  the  night  in  an  Innuit  igloo,  and  next  morning 
started  for  another  village.  Taking  a  course  over  the  hilly  center  of  the 
island  he  arrived  at  his  destination  after  walking  about  three  miles. 
Two  days  were  spent  here  taking  observations,  after  which  the  trip  was 
resumed.  The  breaking  up  and  absence  of  sea  ice  caused  the  party  to 
encounter  many  difficulties  in  making  their  way  along  the  shore.  As 
they  traveled  forward,  the  mountains  of  Kingaite  loomed  up  in  mag- 
nificent grandeur,  and  the  explorer  ^vas  struck  with  the  idea  that  more 
than  land  existed  there;  and  in  truth,  it  was  solid  ice,  which  the  natives 
said  had  never  been  known  to  change. 

About  dark  they  reached  the  south  point  of  the  island  of  Nonyain, 
where  they  expected  to  find  an  Innuit  village,  but  were  disappointed,  and 
were  compelled  to  construct  an  igloo  out  of  a  snowbank,  in  which 
they  lodged  for  the  night,  though  not  without  an  intruder.  The  tide 
poured  in  upon  them  without  ceremony,  but  retired  without  inflicting 
serious  damage.  In  that  region  the  rise  of  the  tide  at  its  full  is  thirty 
feet.  On  Saturday,  April  24,  the  party  started  on  the  return  journey, 
and  on  the*  following  Monday  they  arrived  safely  on  board  the  ship,  after 
an  absence  of  eight  days.  Immediately  after  arriving  on  board,  Capt. 
Hall  had  an  attack  of  snow-blindness,  which  continued  a  few  days.  On 
the  last  day  of  April  the  ice-fetters  were  stricken  from  the  ship,  and  she 
floated  two  feet  higher  in  the  water,  having  become  so  much  lighter 
through  the  consumption  of  stores  since  the  period  of  freezing  in. 

One  day  early  in  May,  Capt.  Hall  went  ashore  at  Cooper's  Island,  in 
Rescue  Harbor,  to  talk  with  an  Innuit  woman  who  was  acquainted  with 
nearly  a  hundred  years  of  the  traditions  of  her  race.  From  her  he  learned 
that  upon  Nionutelik  Island  she  had  seen  bricks  and  coal,  and  pieces 
of  timber  of  various  sizes,  and  that  she  had  often  heard  from  old  Innuits 
that,  many  years  before,  ships  had  landed  there  with  a  great  number  of 
people;  that  when  a  little  girl  she  had  heard  of  these  people  killing 


AN  OASfS. 


509 


several  Innuits  and  taking  away  two  Innuit  women  who  were  never 
again  heard  of,  and  that  they  came  every  year;  first  two,  then  three,  and 
then  a  great  many  ships.  She  also  told  of  five  white  men  who  were 
captured  by  the  Innuit  people  at  the  time  of  the  appearance  of  the  ships 
a  great  manv  years  ago;  that  these  men  wintered  on  shore;  that  they 
lived  among  the  Innuits;  that  they  afterward  built  a  large  boat,  with 
mast  and  sails;  that  they  endeavored  to  get  away,  and  that  they  finally 
succeeded  in  doing  so  after  much  trouble,  and  were  never  again  heard  of. 

As  all  this  was  located  upon  the  island  upon 
which  Frobisher  landed  it  was  compared 
with  written  history,  and  they  were  found  to 
correspond,  which  determined  Hall  to  visit 
Nionutelik,  the  island  referred  to,  for  the 
purpose  of  gaining  further  information. 

Before  leaving  for. the  Frobisher  waters, 
an  examination  trip  was  made  to  the  head 
of  Field  Bay.  Traveling  was  impeded,  and 
seven  hours  were  consumed  in  reaching  the 
shore.  From  the  top  of  a  small  rocky  hill 
was  discovered  to  the  west  a  long  and  narrow 
lakelet,  extending  in  a  northerly  direction  to 
the  base  of  Alden  Mountain.  After  resum- 
ing the  journey,  a  beautiful  grassy  plain  was 
reached,  which  was  quite  destitute  of  snow, 
and  surrounded  by  rugged,  somber,  rocky 

INNUIT  WOMAN'S  HB.AD-DRKSS.  mountains,  making  it  appear  as  an  oasis  in 
the  great  desert  of  ice  and  snow.  Running  northwest  from  the  plain 
near  Alden  Mountain,  was  another  plain  extending  in  every  direction 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  This  led  the  explorer  to  the  belief 
that  at  that  time  Arctic  navigators  knew  very  little  of  the  interior 
of  the  country,  as  they  rarely  saw  and  explored  aught  but  the  coasts. 
Judging  from  information  afterward  obtained,  these  plains  are  the 
breeding  places  of  the  deer.  After  traveling  about  twenty-five  miles  the 
explorer  arrived  on  shipboard  again  at  3  o'clock  the  following  morning. 


570  THE  DREADED  LAND. 

On  the  27th  of  May,  Capt.  Hall,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  natives, 
started  on  the  long-expected  expedition,  but  before  they  had  gone  far  they 
were  compelled  to  return  to  the  ship,  as  it  was  found  impossible  to  make 
the  journey  by  sledge.  It  was  the  intention,  however,  to  spend  a  day  or 
two  on  the  islands  of  Opungnewing  and  Nionutelik  before  making  the 
return  trip;  but  this  also  had  to  be  abandoned  in  the  face  of  a  storm,  and 
the  party  hurried  back  as  fast  as  they  could.  Soon  after  arriving  on 
board  again,  a  party  of  Sekoselar  Innuits  arrived,  and  imparted  some 
valuable  information  concerning  white  people  who  had  in  years  gone  by 
visited  their  country. 

Early  in  June  the  journey  to  the  "Dreaded  Land,"  as  it  is  called  by 
the  Esquimaux,  was  commenced  again  by  sledge.  The  progress  was 
very  slow  at  first.  The  direction  first  taken  was  toward  Dillon  Moun- 
tain, latitude  62°  32'  north,  at  the  east  end  of  Fox's  Land,  an  island  on 
the  east  side  of  Bear  Sound  and  Lupton  Channel,  twelve  miles  in  width, 
its  center  being  in  latitude  62°  29'  north,  longitude  64°  28'  west.  The 
hummocks  caused  the  party  to  change  their  course  to  due  south  toward 
Lupton  Channel.  Bad  weather  compelled  them  to  encamp  on  an  island 
which  was  named  Sylvia,  its  highest  point  being  five  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea.  From  the  elevation  could  be  seen  the  open  water  of  Lupton's 
Channel,  which  the  natives  say  never  freezes  over,  in  consequence  of  the 
swiftly  running  tides.  On  the  yth  of  June  they  left  the  island,  and  the 
same  afternoon  arrived  at  the  base  of  Jones'  Tower,  latitude  62°  33' 
north,  longitude  64°  34'  west.  From  the  top  of  this  mountain  the  view 
was  extensive,  but  Frobisher  Bay  could  not  be  seen,  although  it  was  not 
thought  to  be  distant  more  than  seven  miles. 

The  following  morning  the  journey  was  resumed,  and  the  shore  of 
the  "dreaded  land"  was  found  to  present  many  interesting  features,  on 
account  of  its  newness  and  associations.  About  six  miles  from  Jones' 
Tower  they  reached  Cape  Daly,  the  termination  of  a  neck  of  land  dis- 
tinguished by  a  remarkable  gap  in  its  ridge.  Pushing  forward  they 
reached  Cape  Hayes — the  most  northerly  point  of  Hudson's  Island, 
where  they  again  prospected.  At  this  time  Hall's  Island  was  less  than 
two  miles  distant,  but  it  was  impossible  to  reach  it  on  account  of  the 


NORTH  FORELAND.  571 

rugged  ice  with  which  M'Clintock  Channel  was  firmly  packed.  At 
Cape  Hayes  were  found  circles  of  stones,  which  had  been  placed  there 
years  before  by  the  Innuits  who  formerly  inhabited  this  now  forsaken 
land.  The  next  day  the  party  pursued  its  journey  through  Dr.  Kane's 
Channel,  which  connects  Frobisher  Bay  and  Field  Bay.  Seals  were 
very  numerous  in  this  locality,  and  bear  tracks  were  also  discovered. 
When  they  arrived  at  the  point  from  whence  it  was  expected  to  see  the 
entrance  to  Frobisher  Bay,  there  was  great  astonishment  at  discovering 
a  short  distance  off,  open  water,  with  numerous  icebergs  drifting;  a 
heavy  sea  rolling  in  and  beating  on  the  edge  of  the  floe.- 

They  had  now  neared  the  land;  and  when  within  half  a  mile  of 
"Hall's  smaller  island"  of  Frobisher,  Capt.  Hall  went  on  by  himself. 
Bear  tracks  were  seen  on  all  sides,  and  other  evidences  presented  them- 
selves sufficient  to  show  that  that  outcast  region  was  one  of  plenty  in- 
stead of  barrenness.  After  a  thorough  inspection  the  party  retraced 
their  steps  to  the  encampment,  where  they  arrived  safely  a  day  later. 
From  the  mountain  top  in  the  rear  of  the  camp  bearings  were  taken  of 
various  prominent  places,  It  was  determined  to  set  out  on  the  return  to 
the  ship  on  Wednesday,  June  12,  but  before  doing  so  Capt.  Hall 'visited 
the  utmost  extreme  of  land — the  "North  Foreland"  of  Frobisher.  The 
channel  between  the  islands  was  free  from  ice,  save  at  its  west  end,  and 
presented  an  animated  picture  of  life,  for  seals  and  aquatic  birds  in  great 
variety  were  sporting  there.  After  a  laborious  waHv  he  reached  "North 
Foreland,"  the  goal  of  his  ambition  in  that  trip.  The  view  was  en- 
chanting. As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the  sea  was  open.  North  Fore- 
land presented  a  bold  front.  Its  elevation  was  several  hundred  feet,  and 
the  mighty  waves  were  dashing  in  quick  succession  against  this  rocky 
rampart.  Nearly  south  of  this  point  are  three  islets,  the  nearest  being  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore.  The  largest  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
long,  and  the  others  are  very  small.  In  every  direction  were  seen  traces 
of  reindeer  and  rabbits.  After  remaining  an  hour  on  this  interesting 
spot,  taking  bearings  of  distant  objects,  he  returned  to  the  encampment, 
where  everything  was  found  to  be  in  readiness  for  their  departure. 

The  start  was   made  in  the  forenoon,  and  the  route  selected  was  the 


572  A    DISAPPOINTMENT. 

one  traveled  by  them  three  times  before.  A  gale  sprang  up  during  the 
day,  and  fears  were  entertained  that  it  would  break  up  the  ice.  Great 
difficulty  was  experienced  in  erecting  the  tent,  but  it  was  accomplished 
at  last,  and  the  crevices  were  filled  with  moss  in  such  a  manner  that  it 
was  almost  impossible  for  the  fine  snow  to  enter.  Thev  were  compelled 
to  remain  in  the  tent  until  Friday,  the  I4th,  when  the  journey  was  re- 
sumed. They  progressed  very  well  until  they  struck  out  on  a  straight 
course  for  the  ship,  when  they  found  the  situation  alarming.  The  ice 
was  broken  into  every  conceivable  form  and  size,  but  it  was  their  only 
chance,  and  they  seized  the  opportunity.  The  distance  was  accomplished 
safely,  though  with  fear  and  trembling,  and  they  arrived  at  the  ship  on 
Saturday  morning.  As  an  evidence  of  what  can  be  secured  in  the  polar 
regions  to  sustain  life,  it  may  be  interesting  to  state  that  during  an  ab- 
sence of  ten  days  the  party  obtained: 

i  Polar  bear i,ooopounds. 

I  ookgook  (largest  sized  seal) i  ,500       " 

9  seals 1,800       " 


Total 4,300       " 

In  addition  to  this  they  had  an  abundance  of  skin  for  clothing,  and  oil 
for  fuel  and  light. 

A  few  days  were  devoted  to  rest  and  making  preparations  for  the 
long-desired  visit  to  King  William's  Land  About  this  time  another 
heavy  gale  swept  across  the  bay  for  three  days,  but  the  ice  remained 
firm,  and  the  ship  was  uninjured.  Word  was  received  from  the  whaling 
depot  that  the  officers  and  crew  stationed  there  were  quite  well,  though 
unsuccessful,  and  soon  after  Capt.  Hall,  accompanied  by  Koojesse,  started 
to  join  them,  arriving  at  the  destination  early  next  morning.  After  an 
exchange  of  greetings  an  examination  of  the  shore  was  made,  and  every- 
where along  the  beach  fragments  of  limestone  were  found  in  abundance. 

One  of  the  principal  objects  of  the  visit  to  the  depot  was  to  make 
preparations  for  the  departure  to  King  William's  Land,  and  to  consult 
with  Capt.  B.  respecting  it.  Great  was  the  sorrow  on  both  sides,  when 
Capt.  Hall  was  assured  by  his  friend  that  the  whaling  boat  promised  him 


EGG-HUNTING.  573 

for  the  expedition  was  in  every  respect  inadequate  for  the  work  which  it 
was  proposed  to  impose  upon  it.  He  showed  clearly  that  it  could  not 
carry  the  necessary  quantity  of  provisions  for  the  men  required,  which 
impressed  the  explorer  with  the  belief  that  he  would  have  to  postpone 
his  proposed  expedition  for  a  year,  or  until  he  could  return  to  the  States 
and  procure  a  suitable  boat. 

The  weather  being  fine,  an  expedition  was  planned  for  the  explora- 
tion of  the  surrounding  coast,  made  famous  by  Frobisher's  voyages  in 
the  sixteenth  century.  The  start  was  made  with  a  young  native,  who, 
however,  proved  to  be  a  hindrance.  The  journey  was  tedious  in  the 
extreme.  The  shore-ice  was  covered  with  soft  snow,  and  a  point  of  land 
not  more  than  two  and  a  half  miles  distant  could  only  be  reached  by  a 
walk  of  fifteen  miles,  after  which  a  long  circuit  had  to  be  made  around 
some  rocks.  Nothing  was  accomplished  on  this  trip,  and  the  party 
returned  to  the  depot. 

Much  of  the  time  was 'devoted  to  duck  hunting  and  egg  gathering. 
A  party  of  four  succeeded  in  gathering  six  dozen  eggs  at  one  point  in 
ten  minutes.  At  another  place  they  got  sixteen  dozen  and  five  in  twenty 
minutes.  The  ducks  always  replaced  the  eggs,  which  made  the  supply 
equal  to  the  demand.  Many  birds  were  shot,  but  the  swift  tide  pre- 
vented the  hunters  from  securing  the  game.  Ice  bridges  were  found  in 
abundance,  and  many  of  the  islands  in  Bear  Sound  are  united  by  these 
curious  provisions  of  nature. 

On  June  29,  Captains  Hall  and  B.  returned  to  the  George  Henry,  and 
a  few  days  later  the  Fourth  of  July  was  celebrated  by  a  grand  explosion 
of  a  rusty  gun-barrel.  At  this  time  there  was  a  fair  prospect  that  the 
bay  would  soon  be  free  from  ice,  and  that  the  ship  would  get  away  to 
other  quarters. 


CHAPTER    LXIV. 

THE    SHIP    FREE A    SERIES    OF    ADVENTURES IRON    ISLAND JONES5 

CAPE CAPE    STEVENS FRESH    WATERS PEALE    POINT  —  JOR- 
DAN5 S    RIVER THE     RETURN COAL COUNTESS    OF    WARWICK'S 

SOUND HOMEWARD    BOUND. 

On  July  17,  1 86 1,  the  ship  was  once  more  free  from  the  ice  which 
had  bound  her  for  eight  months,  and  swung  her  chains  in  Rescue  Har- 
bor. But  it  was  only  in  a  pool  that  she  was  free,  for  ice  yet  remained 
between  the  anchorage  and  the  main  bay.  The  greater  portion  of  the 
crew  were  again  at  the  whaling  depot,  when  a  boat  was  sent  them,  but 
they  were  meeting  with  no  success.  At  this  time  the  heat  was  very 
great,  the  mercury  standing  95°  in  the  sun,  preventing  work  of  all  kinds, 
unless  one  was  clad  in  the  lightest  garments.  On  the  2yth  the  ice  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  vessel  began  to  move,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that 
the  crew  succeeded  in  keeping  it  from  crushing  the  ship.  A  day  later  the 
men  who  had  remained  at  the  whaling  depot  were  summoned  to  return 
to  the  ship.  The  return  of  the  crew  and  breaking  up  of  the  ice  were 
the  signal  for  a  departure  to  another  place  in  search  of  whales. 

On  Tuesday,  the  3Oth,  the  George  Henry  took  her  departure  from 
the  bay,  leaving  Capt.  Hall  to  push  his  explorations  as  best  he  might. 
He  took  up  his  abode  with  Ebierbing,  and  was  the  only  white  man  left 
in  that  locality.  The  next  day  it  blew  a  gale,  and  the  ship  again  sought 
shelter  in  the  bay,  where  she  remained  for  some  time. 

At  this  time  Capt.  Hall  was  busily  engaged  in  the  selection  of  a 
crew  that  should  accompany  him  on  his  expedition.  He  succeeded  in 
securing  six  good  natives,  and  eveiything  being  ready  for  the  start 
on  Friday,  Aug.  9,  on  that  day  he  set  out  from  the  ship.  That 
evening  they  reached  the  entrance  to  Lupton's  Channel,  and  made  their 

first  encampment  in  a  small  cove  on  the  southeast  side  of  Bache's  Po 

574 


A   SERIES  OF  ADVENTURES.  575 

ninsula,  and  opposite  Ellis  Island,  where  they  found  relics  of  former 
Innuit  encampments.  The  voyage  was  continued  the  following 
morning.  At  Cape  True  a  rest  was  taken  for  an  examination 
of  the  deserted  place.  At  that  time  there  was  no  ice  on  Frobisher  Hay 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  bergs.  The  second  encampment  was  at 
Cape  Cracroft,  latitude  62°  41'  30"  north,  longitude  65°  7'  west.  The 
next  stopping  place  was  at  Oopungnewing  Island,  where  the  members 
of  the  party  were  very  much  annoyed  by  mosquitoes.  On  the  nth  'of 
August  three  of  the  Crew  were  selected  to  accompany  the  explorers  to 
Nionutelik,  which  was  reached  in  safety,  although  rough  weather  was 
encountered.  Search  was  made  for  fragments  of  brick  and  relics,  but 
none  were  found.  The  journey  was  continued  around  the  island,  and  at 
last  the  relic  hunter  was  rewarded  by  finding  pieces  of  sea  coal  which 
had  been  taken  there  by  Frobisher  in  1578.  No  other  relics  were  found, 
and  the  parties  returned  to  the  encampment.  The  journey  was  resumed 
in  the  morning.  The  examination  made  of  the  surroundings  was  not 
thorough,  as  it  was  the  intention  to  continue  the  journey  at  another  time 
and  in  a  more  complete  manner.  However,  a  constant  record  was  kept 
of  distances  run  and  courses  steered,  and  landings  were  made  as  fre- 
quently as  possible  to  take  observations  for  latitude,  longitude,  and 
variations  of  the  compass. 

Iron  Island,  named  so  because  of  the  resemblance  of  its  rocks  to  ox- 
idized iron,  was  found  to  be  an  interesting  place.  Innuit  monumental 
marks  were  found;  also  an  excellent  piece  of  live  oak  timber,  from  some 
wreck. 

Jones'  Cape  was  selected  as  the  next  place  of  encampment.  It  is  in 
latitude  62°  55'  30"  north,  longitude  65°  45'  west.  A  snug  harbor  was 
found,  and  the  natives  received  the  parties  kindly.  Some  remarkable 
monuments  of  stone  were  found  here,  one  being  about  six  feet  high,  and 
in  the  form  of  a  cross.  Capt.  Hall  declared  Jones  Cape  to  be  one  of  the 
finest  places  he  had  seen  in  the  north.  Force's  Sound  is  nearly  sur- 
rounded by  magnificent  mountains,  and  is  sheltered  from  winds  and 
heavy  seas  by  numerous  islands.  On  Aug.  14  a  mountain  in  the  rear  of  the 
encampment  was  ascended,  from  the  summit  of  which  could  be  plainly 


576  IRON  ISLAND. 

seen  more  than  fifty  miles  of  the  Kingaite  coast,  the  nearest  point  being 
distant  about  thirty  miles.  The  peculiar  variety  of  stone  found  upon 
Iron  Island  was  also  found  there,  and  also  limestone  upon  the  summit, 
about  a  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

The  expedition  next  pushed  westerly  across  the  east  arm  of  the  bay, 
but  had  to  change  its  course  on  account  of  a  heavy  sea,  and  again  landed  on 
the  island,  near  its  ce'nter,  after  which  it  proceeded  to  the  southeastern 
extreme  of  Barrow's  Peninsula.  The  next  point  reached  was  Hamlin's 
Bay,  which  had  to  be  crossed.  The  sixth  encampment  was  made  on 
Blanchard's  Island,  and  the  seventh  at  Tongue  Cape,  near  the  entrance 
of  Waddell  Bay.  A  native  was  here  found  who  had  seen  pieces  of 
iron,  brick  and  coal  in  that  locality,  but  who  said  they  had  been  carried 
away  years  before  when  he  was  a  boy.  The  expedition  continued  its 
course  along  the  coast,  closely  examining  its  features,  and  noting  down 
everything  of  importance  which  was  seen.  The  land  was  bold  and 
high,  with  much  of  the  iron  rust  look  about  it.  Scarcely  any  vegetation 
was  to  be  seen.  Numberless  islands  bordered  the  coast,  and  it  looked  as 
though  a  complete  chain  reached  across  the  bay  to  Kingaite. 

Cape  Stevens  was  the  eighth  camping  ground.  On  a  mountain  top 
close  by  were  found  shells  and  fossils,  some  of  which  were  taken  away. 
This  particular  mountain  was  described  as  being  very  grand  and  rugged. 
One  side  was  perpendicular,  and  contained  large  caverns,  with  huge 
projecting  rocks  hanging  over  them. 

Numerous  small  bergs  were  encountered  during  the  next  few  days, 
which  had  been  left  high  and  dry  on  the  rocks  near  the  coast  by  the 
ebbing  of  the  low  spring  tide.  Capt.  Hall  went  ashore  on  the  north 
side  of  the  island,  "  Frobisher's  Farthest,"  from  the  summit  of  which 
the  bay  seemed  to  continue  on  between  two  headlands,  one  the  termina- 
tion of  the  ridge  of  mountains  on  the  Kingaite,  and  the  other  the  ter- 
mination of  the  ridge  running  on  the  north  side  of  Frobisher's  Bay.  The 
coast  of  Kingaite  was  in  full  view  from  the  "  Great  Gateway  "  down  to 
the  "President's  Seat,"  a  distance  of  one  hundred  nautical  miles.  A 
line  of  islands — their  number  legion — shoot  down  from  "  Frobisher's 
Farthest "  to  the  Kingaite, 


STLVIA   Git  IN  NELL  RIVER.  577 

The  next  morning,  Aug.  23,  an  exploration  of  the  hills  was  un- 
dertaken. Mountains  near  the  coast  on  that  side  of  the  bay  had  disap- 
peared, the  land  being  comparatively  low,  and  covered  with  verdure. 
When  all  the  party  had  again  gone  on  the  boat  and  proceeded  some  distance 
further,  they  found  themselves  navigating  in  fresh  waters.  It  was  clear 
the  river  was  of  considerable  size,  or  it  could  not  throw  out  such  a  vol- 
ume of  fresh  water  to  a  considerable  distance  from  its  mouth  against  an 
incoming  tide.  After  proceeding  a  short  distance  further  it  was  found 
that  the  waters  were  alive  with  salmon.  The  reindeer  also  abounded 
in  that  region,  and  the  members  of  the  party  had  no  trouble  in  feasting 
themselves  upon  all  the  delicacies  of  the  season.  The  waters  of  the 
river  were  pure  as  crystal,  and  it  was  named  Sylvia  Grinnell  River.  For 
the  first  half  mile  from  the  sea  proper  it  runs  quietly.  The  next  quarter 
of  a  mile  it  falls  about  fifteen  feet,  rushing  rapidly  over  rocks.  The 
next  mile  is  on  a  level,  when  it  again  takes  a  fall  of  about  ten  feet  to  a 
fifth  of  a  mile,  after  which  its  course  is  through  low,  level  land.  The 
banks  for  two  miles  are  of  boulders,  thence,  in  some  cases,  boulders  and 
grass.  Two  miles  above  the  point  where  it  enters  the  sea,  on  the  east 
side,  is  the  neck  of  a  plain  which  grows  wider  and  wider  as  it  extends 
back.  From  the  point  where  it  was  seen  it  looked  as  though  it  was 
very  extensive.  On  the  east  side  as  far  as  could  be  seen  there  was  a 
ridge  of  mountains.  On  the  west  side  was  a  plain  of  a  quarter  to  a 
half  mile  in  width. 

Thursday  morning,  Aug.  29,  the  party  was  again  under  headway  in  a 
due  west  course.  An  indentation  of  the  coast,  at  the  head  of  which  was  a 
grassy  plain,  was  soon  passed,  and  as  Peale  Point  was  approached  it  was 
found  to  be  fringed  with  many  islets.  The  Point  consists  of  rugged 
rocks  which  attain  a  greater  elevation  than  any  other  land  at  the  head 
proper  of  Frobisher  Bay.  The  beach  was  sandy,  and  contained  large 
and  remarkable  time-worn  boulders.  In  the  afternoon  they  entered  the 
channel,  with  Kingaite  on  the  right,  and  Bishop's  Island  on  the  left. 
The  coast  was  steep,  but  in  many  places  covered  with  grass  and  vege- 
tation. The  entrance  is  about  half  a  mile  wide,  and  after  proceeding  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  they  reached  a  fine  harbor  not  less  than-  two  and  a 
37 


578  JORDAN'S  RIVER. 

half  miles  in  diameter,  on  the  west  side  of  which  they  encamped. 
Making  his  way  to  the  crest  of  a  high  hill,  Capt.  Hall  placed  there  the 
Stars  and  Stripes.  This  encampment  was  left  the  following  afternoon, 
some  articles  being  stored  to  be  called  for  on  the  return.  A  landing 
was  made  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Bishop's  Island.  From  its  top  the 
whole  head  of  Frobisher  Bay,  from  Sylvia  to  Grinnell  River  on  the 
northeast,  to  Aggoun  on  the  west,  was  in  view.  The  width  was  fourteen 
nautical  miles.  The  termination  is  not  by  deep  bays  or  fiords,  but  by 
slight  indentations,  the  greatest  not  exceeding  three  miles.  Bishop's 
Island  was  well  covered  with  vegetation.  The  next  day  a  point  was 
reached  from  which  it  was  definitely  ascertained  that  Frobisher's  Strait 
was  a  myth.  The  estuary  of  Jordan's  River  was  finally  reached.  It 
was  crossed,  and  an  encampment  made  on  the  other  side.  From  this 
point  were  visible  long  and  wide  plains,  meadows  of  grass,  smoothly 
sloping  hills,  and  a  range  of  mountains  beyond,  which,  parting  in  one 
particular  spot,  formed,  as  it  were,  a  natural  gateway.  At  the  left,  across 
the  river,  was  Silliman's  Fossil  Mount,  a  ridge  of  white,  and  behind  it 
the  unbroken  front  of  a  line  of  mountains  extending  northwesterly  to 
the  Great  Gateway.  On  the  northern  side  the  mountains  continued 
from  this  singular  opening  on  by  Frobisher  Bay  to  the  locality  around 
Field  Bay,  far  to  the  southwest  and  eastward.  Jordan's  River  is  not  so 
large  as  the  Sylvia  Grinnell,  but  at  certain  seasons  it  must  discharge 
large  volumes  of  water.  On  account  of  its  singular  beauty  the  land  at 
the  head  of  Frobisher  Bay  was  named  "  Greenwood's  Land."  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river  was.  discovered  a  mount  of  marine  fossils  in 
limestone,  half  a  mile  long  and  over  a  hundred  feet  high. 

On  the  morning  of  Sept.  6  the  return  journey  was  commenced. 
Two  days  later  it  was  evident  that  winter  had  again  commenced.  There 
was  a  severe  snowstorm  in  the  morning  and  ice  at  night.  On  the  loth 
a  journey  over  the  mountains  westward  was  undertaken,  though 
nothing  was  accomplished.  Next  day  a  start  was  made  for  the  islands, 
and  a  landing  was  made  on  Bishop's  Island.  The  view  from  there 
embraced  the  whole  coast  which  terminates  Frobisher  Bay.  On  the 
2oth  there  was  some  excitement  when  one  of  the  Innuits  cried  out  from 


579 


OPHIURID  OF  NORTHERN  SEAS. 


58-)  JfELICS    OF  FROBISHER. 

the  shore  that  he  had  discovered  gold,  and  instantly  a  rush  was  made  for 
the  spot,  when  it  was  discovered  that  the  alleged  article  was  spurious. 
Further  along  on  the  island  was  found  a  trench  in  the  rock  which  was 
one  hundred  and  ten  .feet  in  length,  running  from  the  surface  to  a  depth 
of  twenty-five  feet  at' the  water's  edge.  The  Innuits  said  that  a  ship  had 
been  built  there  by  the  white  men. 

On  top  of  the  island  was  found  the  ruins  of  a  house,  built  of  stone, 
and  cemented  with  lime.  It  was  about  twelve  feet  in  diameter, 
and  thickly  coated  with  moss.  A  few  feet  from  it  was  a  sort  of  stone 
breastwork,  such  as  the  natives  erect  for  shelter  when  hunting,  and  also 
a  pile  of  stones,  which  looked  as  though  it  might  have  been  made  by 
Frobisher's  men  to  cover  some  memorial  left  by  them  when  trying  to 
escape  in  their  ship. 

Leaving  the  island  the  course  was  next  laid  to  the  cape  of  land  called 
Tikkoon.  Landing  there,  one  of  the  Innuits  attracted  the  party  to  where 
he  was  standing,  by  loud  cries.  On  arriving  on  the  spot  there  was  found 
still  another  relic  of  the  Frobisher  Expedition — of  iron,  and  time-eaten, 
with  ragged  teeth.  The  piece  weighed  from  fifteen  to  twenty  pounds 
and  was  on  the  top  of  a  gi'anite  rock,  just  within  reach  of  high  tide  at 
full  and  change  of  the  moon.  The  iron  stain  was  in  the  rock;  otherwise 
its  top  was  cleanly  washed. 

The  next  point  visited  was  Cape  Ood-loo-ong,  where  many  relics 
of  Innuits  were  found,  and  which  possessed  magnificent  scenery.  Next 
day  a  landing  was  made  at  Ek-ke-le-zhun,  where  more  coal  was  found, 
and  where  a  black  stone  resembling  coal  was  also  found. 

A  snowstorm  detained  the  party  on  Nionutelik  Island,  which 
enabled  Capt.  Hall  to  extend  his  investigations  still  farther.  East  of  the 
spot  where  he  discovered  some  coal  several  months  before,  he  discovered 
another  deposit,  which  was  nearly  overgrown  with  grasses,  shrubs,  and 
mosses.  Its  location  and  surroundings  led  him  to  believe  that  this  must 
have  been  the  landing  place  of  Frobisher  in  1578. 

A  start  from  the  island  was  made  on  Sept.  25,  the  course  being  direct 
to  Kodlunam  Island.  This  second  visit  resulted  in  the  discovery  of 
another  piece  of  iron,  semi-spherical  in  shape,  and  weighing  twenty 


ANOTHER   WINTER  IN  THE  ARCTIC.  581 

pounds.  Fragments  of  tile  and  numerous  other  relics,  indicating  that 
civilized  men  had  visited  it,  were  also  found.  Cape  True  was  next 
visited,  and  then  the  party  started  for  the  locality  of  the  ship.  On  the 
evening  of  the  2yth  they  arrived  near  Parker's  Bay,  where  they  heard 
the  sound  of  firearms.  It  was  cold,  and  night  was  approaching,  hut 
they  pressed  on  to  ascertain  if  the  ship  still  remained.  The  point  of 
land  at  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  was  rounded,  and  the  hull  of  the 
George  Henry  loomed  up  before  them.  All  received  a  joyful  welcome, 
and  were  soon  on  board  recounting  their  adventures  to  the  officers  and 
men,  who  had  given  them  up  for  lost. 

Much  of  the  time  after  arriving  at  the  ship  was  spent  in  visiting  the 
homes  of  the  Innuits  on  shore,  and  gaining  what  information  could  be 
obtained  concerning  the  white  men  who  centuries  before  had  visited  that 
region.  The  result  of  this  information  was  a  determination  to  make 
another  trip  to  the  places  recently  visite4d,  and  accompanied  by  five 
Innuits,  Capt.  Hall  started  for  the  Countess  of  Warwick's  Sound  on  the 
yth  of  October.  The  trip  was  nearly  a  failure.  The  season  was  too  far 
advanced  for  boat  excursions;  snow  storms,  and  cold  and  windy  weather, 
met  them  each  day.  The  Innuits  were  willing  to  proceed,  but  plainly 
intimated  that  it  would  not  do  to  go  far;  so  the  party  returned  to  the 
ship,  where  they  arrived  after  an  absence  of  four  days. 

All  now  wished  to  commence  the  voyage  home.  Ice  had  begun  to 
form,  and  it  was  felt  that  the  time  for  departure  had  arrived.  The  captain 
of  the  whaler  had  determined  to  leave  on  the  2Oth  of  October,  and  all 
had  made  up  their  minds  accordingly.  While  waiting  for  the  day  of, 
departure  Capt.  Hall  visited  a  high  point  near  Bayard  Taylor  Pass,  in 
order  to  enable  him  to  complete  the  trigonometrical  survey  which  he  had 
commenced.  From  the  elevation  he  discovered  that  solid  ice  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  bay  held  the  ship  a  prisoner  there.  Upon  the  return  to  the 
ship  her  captain  was  informed  of  the  discovery  of  pack  ice  in  Davis' 
Strait.  It  was  soon  after  announced  that  the  winter  must  be  spent  in 
the  polar  regions.  The  bay  commenced  freezing  over,  and  on  Oct. 
25,  instead  of  being  homeward  bound,  the  ship  was  in  ice  seven 
inches  thick  and  rapidly  increasing,  causing  immediate  preparations  to  go 


582  GRIN  NELL   GLACIER 

into    winter  quarters.      On   Nov.    23  the    Innuits   commenced   to  build 
their  winter  houses. 

When  it  was  fairly  decided  that  the  George  Henry  would  remain  all 
winter  in  the  ice,  Capt.  Hall  declared  his  intention  of  making  sledge 
journey  up  Frobisher  Bay,  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  a  complete  ex- 
ploration of  every  bay  and  inlet  in  those  waters,  and  also  of  investigat- 
ing still  more  closely  the  matters  connected  with  the  Countess  of 
Warwick's  Sound,  and  on  Dec.  15  he  started  for  Jones'  Cape,  accom- 
panied by  two  Innuits.  No  new  discoveries  were  made,  and  after  an  ab- 
sence of  four  days  they  again  arrived  at  the  ship. 

Shortness  of  provisions  caused  the  ship's  company  to  divide  them- 
selves among  the  Innuits  and  try  their  mode  of  living.  The  privations 
of  Innuit  life  were  too  severe  for  them,  and  they  now  and  then  returned 
to  the  ship.  Indeed,  the  experience  of  the  men  was  anything  but  pleas- 
ant, and  it  often  looked  as  though  they  would  die  of  starvation. 

The  exploring  sledge  trip  up  Frobisher's  Bay  was  renewed  on  the 
ist  of  April,  the  party  consisting  of  Capt.  Hall,  four  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany, and  four  Innuits.  They  first  visited  Oopungnewing,  but  nothing 
new  was  discovered.  The  journey  was  continued  without  any  event  of 
note  occurring,  until  May  ist,  when  the  course  was  changed  to  the 
Kingaite  coast.  The  Grinnell  Glacier  was  visited,  which  was  estimated 
to  be  fully  one  hundred  miles  long.  Its  height  at  the  highest  point 
reached  is  3,500  feet.  From  this  point  various  other  bays  were 
visited.  Thence  they  proceeded  among  many  islands,  and  came 
to  a  channel  where  they  found  a  space  of  open  water  abounding  in 
ducks  and  other  aquatic  birds  and  seals.  This  raised  the  siege  of  hunger 
which  had  been  endured  almost  since  the  time  they  had  left  the  ship. 
The  journey  was  continued  down  the  bay,  passing  rapidly  on  the  right 
Cape  Poillon  and  Newell's  Sound,  and  on  the  left,  Pike's  Island ;  the 
course  being  along  near  the  Kingaite  coast,  and  direct  for  Cape  Vander- 
bilt.  In  leaving  the  latter  point  the  course  was  almost  in  line  with  Cape 
Hill,  the  south  termination  of  Chase  Island.  The  return  journey  to  the 
ship  was  commenced  on  the  2Oth  of  May,  which  was  reached  early  next 
morninjr. 


BBIERBING,  TOOKOOLITO,  AND   CHILD. 


588 


584  CAPE    TRUE. 

A  short  time  after  the  return  to  the  ship  Capt.  Hall  secured  the  con- 
sent of  his  Innuit  companions,  Ebierbing  and  his  wife  Tookoolito,  to  re- 
turn -with  him  to  the  United  States,  in  order  that  he  might  learn  more 
of  the  language,  manners  and  customs  of  their  race,  and  have  them  return 
with  him  at  a  future  time  on  his  expedition  to  King  William's  Land. 

Early  in  June  two  more  relics  of  Frobisher's  Expedition  were  pro- 
cured from  one  of  the  Esquimaux — a  piece  of  brick  and  a  musket  ball, 
the  latter  of  which  the  giver  said  had  been  found  before  his  race  knew 
anything  of  guns. 

The  ship  was  left  June  14  for  a  visit  to  the  whaling  depot  at  Cape 
True,  which  was  reached  in  safety,  and  the  captain  and  his  men  were 
found  to  be  fat  and  healthy.  After  remaining  a  few  days  with  the 
whalers,  Capt.  Hall  and  an  Innuit  companion  started  once  more  for 
Cornelius  Grinnell  Bay,  for  the  purpose  of  surveying  it.  During  the 
trip  they  encountered  very  severe  weather.  The  ice  threatened  to  break 
up  and  crush  them,  and  the  wind  blew  a  hurricane.  It  was  the  inten- 
tion to  go  to  the  extreme  of  the  bay,  but  the  season  was  so  far  advanced  as 
to  render  ice-traveling  very  dangerous;  therefore  the  party  advanced  no 
farther  than  Allen's  Island,  of  which  a  renewed  examination  was  com- 
menced. The  discoveries  made  were  of  minor  importance,  and  the  re- 
turn journey  to  the  ship  was  commenced  on  the  26th  of  June.  On  the 
way  back  the  time  was  improved  in  making  observations  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  chart.  On  the  day  following  the  ship  was  reached,  when 
matters  were  found  to  be  proceeding  in  the  usual  course. 

Another  expedition  was  commenced  June  30.  Cape  True  was 
reached  by  sled,  from  whence  a  party  of  eleven  was  secured  to  proceed 
further  by  boat.  The  islands  which  had  been  visited  before  were  visited 
again.  Relics  were  sought  and  a  few  secured,  but  things  which  it  was 
particularly  desirous  to  obtain  could  not  be  found.  The  journey  was 
continued  until  July  19,  when  they  again  started  for  the  ship.  As  they 
proceeded  along  the  coast,  observations  were  renewed,  and  so  far  as  it 
could  be  done  the  link  of  bearings  and  sextant  angles  which  now  ex- 
tended all  around  Frobisher  Bay,  was  completed.  The  next  point  for 
which  the  party  started  was  the  southeast  extreme — Hall's  Island  of  Fro- 


RETURN  OF   THE  GEORGE  HENRT.  585 

bisher.  A  number  of  small  islands  and  channels  were  found  and  named. 
Passing  along  Lok's  Land,  a  stone  monument  was  discovered  on  the 
edge  of  the  shore.  Subsequently  others  were  seen,  which  the  natives 
said  told  of  a  time  long  ago,  when  many  of  their  race  lived  there,  who 
were  ultimately  all  lost,  since  when  no  Innuit  dares  to  dwell  on  the 
island.  Bear  Island  was  also  visited,  and  a  day  later  the  objective  point 
— Hall's  Island  of  Frobisher — was  reached.  An  ascent  of  Mount  War- 
wick was  immediately  made,  and  the  weather  being  favorable,  many 
important  places  were  connected  by  sextant  angles.  The  return  trip  to 
Cape  True  was  speedily  and  safely  made. 

On  Friday,  Aug.  8,  two  days  after  their  return,  Capt.  B.  arrived 
in  a  boat  direct  from  George  Henry  Bay,  with  the  announcement  that  the 
ship  was  nearly  free,  that  the  ice  in  Field  Bay  was  all  broken  up,  and 
that  much  of  it  had  drifted  out  to  sea.  He  ordered  all  hands  to  proceed 
on  board  immediately.  The  men  were  overjoyed,  and  all  was  excite- 
ment. The  tents  were  struck  quickly,  and  everything  which  was  neces- 
sary, and  which  could  be  carried,  was  placed  in  the  boat.  Farewells 
were  paid  to  many  familiar  spots  as  they  were  passed.  The  ship  was 
speedily  reached,  and  the  men  were  glad  again  to  tread  her  decks  in  the 
knowledge  that  she  was  once  more  free. 

On  Saturday,  Aug.  9,  the  weather  was  calm  and  clear.  The  ice 
had  cleared  away,  and  the  ship  was  swinging  lazily  at  her  anchors.  There 
was  no  wind,  but  it  was  no  time  to  hold  on,  and,  finding  it  useless  to  tarry 
longer,  the  captain  gave  the  signal,  and  the  anchors  were  once  more 
hoisted  to  their  place  on  board.  The  ship  was  soon  clear,  and,  with 
lines  out,  all  boats  were  manned  to  tow  her  down  the  bay.  The  Innuits 
surrounded  her  and  many  words  of  kind  regret  were  exchanged  as  they 
parted  company.  Soon  a  fresh  breeze  was  welcomed,  and  the  George 
Henry  was  once  more  homeward  bound.  Nothing  worthy  of  note  oc- 
curred during  the  voyage.  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland,  was  reached  with- 
out accident  on  Aug.  2ist,  when  the  ship  again  sailed  for  New  London, 
where  she  -arrived  on  Saturday  morning,  Sept.  13,  1862.  Thus  ended 
a  voyage  and  explorations  of  two  years  and  three  and  a  half  months, 
in  and  about  the  Arctic  seas. 


586 


END   OF  FRANKLIN  SEARCH. 


With  Hall's  first  voyage  closes  the  connected  series  of  efforts  to  dis- 
cover the  particulars  of  the  Franklin  tragedy,  lasting  from  their  incep- 
tion in  1848-9,  till  the  termination  of  the  enterprise  just  described.  A 
later  endeavor  of  Hall  resulting  in  partial  success,  will  be  described  in 
connection  with  his  third  and  last  voyage.  We  next  turn  to  the  long 
list  of  recent  explorers,  who,  from  4860  to  iSSi,  have  made  voyages  for 
independent  Arctic  discovery. 


PART    V. 


RECENT  PHLflH  EXFEfllTIIINS, 


"  The  summer  went,  the  winter  came, 
We  could  not  rule  the  year  ; 

But  summer  will  melt  the  ice  again, 
And  open  a  path  to  the  sunny  main, 

Whereon  our  ships  shall  steer. 

"  The  winter  went,  the  summer  went, 
The  winter  came  around; 

But  the  hard  green  ice  was  strong  as  death, 
And  the  voice  of  Hope  sank  to  a  breath, 

Yet  caught  at  every  sound.'1'' 


CHAPTER    LXV. 

THEORY      OF     HAYES ANNOUNCES      HIS      PLAN SUBSCRIPTIONS A 

PRESENT THE     START ICEBERGS THE    KAYAK PROVEN 

UPERNAVIK STRANGE     SCENES CAPE    YORK A    GALE ALMo'sT 

A    WRECK HARTSTENE    BAY. 

With  the  enthusiasm  of  an  ardent  young  man — he  was  only  twenty- 
one,  and  had  just  graduated  as  a  physician,  when  he  joined  Dr.  Kane  in 
1853 — Dr.  Isaac  Israel  Hayes  became  possessed  of  the  idea  that  beyond 
the  ice-belt  which  surrounded  the  Arctic  lands  hitherto  discovered,  would 
be  found  an  open  body  of  water  stretching  to  the  Pole.  "Accepting  the 
deductions,"  he  says,  "  of  many  learned  physicists  that  the  sea  about  the 
North  Pole  cannot  be  frozen,  that  an  open  area  of  varying  extent  must 
be  found  within  the  ice-belt  which  is  known  to  invest  it,  I  desired  to  add 
to  the  proofs  which  had  already  been  accumulated  by  the  early  Dutch 
and  English  voyagers,  and  more  recently  by  the  researches  of  Scoresby, 
\Vrangell,  and  Parry,  and  still  later  by  Dr.  Kane's  Expedition." 

Hayes  submitted  his  ideas  and  plans  to  the  American  Geographical 
and  Statistical  Society,  in  a  paper  read  before  them  toward  the  close  of 
1857,  which  attracted  some  attention.  In  April,  1858,  he  brought  the 
subject  to  the  notice  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science,  at  its  annual  meeting,  which  appointed  sixteen  of  its  mem- 
bers a  committee  on  the  subject.  Other  societies  took  similar  action; 
"Dr.  Hayes  gave  several  lectures  in  furtherance  of  the  project;  and  about 
400  prominent  gentlemen  and  business  houses  of  Philadelphia,  New 
York,  Albany  and  Boston  subscribed  to  the  Arctic  Exploration  Fund. 
The  Smithsonian  Institution  made  a  tender  of  the  necessary  instru- 
ments; and  in  June,  1860,  the  necessary  expenses  for  one  vessel  had  been 
collected.  Hayes  now  curtailed  his  original  plan,  which  embraced  a 
small  steamer — which  was  to  make  the  voyage  under  sail,  reserving  its 

589 


5!)0  THE    UNITED  STATES. 

steam-power  for  boring  through  the  ice — and  a  sailing  vessel,  to  act  as 
tender  or  store-ship.  A  staunch  merchant  schooner  in  the  West  Indies 
trade,  of  only  133  tons  burden,  but  an  Ai  register,  and  drawing  only 
eight  feet  of  water,  was  purchased  for  the  voyage.  It  was  already  late 
in  the  season,  in  view  of  the  distance  that  intervened,  for  successful 
exploration  beyond  latitude  8op,  where  Hayes  proposed  to  begin.  The 
necessary  improvements  to  adapt  the  ship  to  her  new  sphere  were 
hurriedly  pushed  forward;  and  the  stowage  of  supplies  and  provisions 
added  further  delay.  It  was  the  yth  of  July  before  the  snug  little  craft, 
which  had  been  named  the  United  States,  was  towed  out  from  the  harbor 
of  Boston,  and  the  9th  before  she  left  Nantasket  Roads  for  the  voyage 
to  the  north.  Her  company  consisted  of  fourteen  persons,  officers  and 
men,  besides  the  commander  and  owner,  Dr.  Hayes.  The  vessel  and 
outfit  had  been  presented  to  him  on  the  eve  of  his  departure. 

On  the  second  day  they  ran  into  a  fog-bank  which  enveloped  them  a 
whole  week,  and  in  which  they  finally  ran  on  the  rocks  off  the  New- 
foundland coast,  but  had  the  good  fortune  to  get  away  without  injury, 
though  Hayes  says  it  seemed  as  if  they  could  touch  the  beetling  cliffs 
with  their  hands.  With  favorable  winds  and  weather  they  now  pushed 
rapidly  to  the  west,  seeing  the  first  iceberg  on  the  29th,  and  entering 
within  the  Arctic  circle  on  the  evening  of  the  3Oth.  Thus  they  had 
made  an  average  of  nearly  100  miles  a  day  from  Nantasket  Roads, 
having  reached  the  region  of  "the  midnight  sun"  in  twenty  days.  While 
in  Davis'  Strait  they  had  a  narrow  escape  from  a  serious  disaster  in  a 
squall ;  the  cabin  was  flooded  at  least  a  dozen  times  a  day  the  skylight 
knocked  to  pieces  and  the  table,  standing  directly  under  it,  more  than 
once  cleared  of  crockery  and  eatables  without  the  aid  of  the  steward. 

They  made  the  southern  extremity  of  Disco  Island  on  the  last  day 
of  July,  and  the  Nord  Fiord  of  the  same,  in  latitude  70°,  on  the  ist  of 
August.  Speeding  past  Waigat  Strait,  and  Omenak  Fiord  or  Jacob's 
Bight,  they  arrived  off  Svarte  Hook  on  the  2d,  when  the  wind,  which 
had  so  long  favored  them,  died  completely  away.  The  fog  lifted,  and 
"iceberg  after  iceberg  burst  into  view,  like  castles  in  a  fairy  tale.  The  sea 
was  smooth  as  glass ;  not  a  ripple  broke  its  dead  surface ;  not  a  breath  of 


THE  KATAK. 


.'91 


air  stirred.  The  dark  headlands  stood  boldly  out  against  the  sky ;  the 
clouds,  and  sea,  and  bergs,  and  mountains  were  bathed  in  an  atmosphere 
of  crimson,  and  gold,  and  purple,  most  singularly  beautiful.  The  air  was 
warm  almost  as  a  summer's  night  at  home;  and  yet  there  were  the  ice- 
bergs and  the  bleak  mountains,  with  which  the  fancy  in  our  land  of  green 
hills  and  waving  forests,  can  associate  nothing  but  cold  repulsiveness." 
Notwithstanding  the  poetic  beauty  of  the  scene,  the  prosy  reality  of  an 
iceberg  close  at  hand,  and  lofty  as  the  topmast,  obliged  them  to  man  the 


DR.    I.   I.    HAYES. 


boats  to  haul  the  vessel  out  of  danger.  On  the  6th  they  made  the  har- 
bor of  Proven,  forty  miles  south  of  Upernavik,  convoyed  by  a  fleet  of 
Greenland  kayaks. 

"  The  kayak  of  the  Greenlander,"  says  Hayes,  "is  the  frailest  speci- 
men of  marine  architecture  that  ever  carried  human  freight.  It  is 
eighteen  feet  long,  and  as  many  inches  wide  at  its  middle,  and  tapers, 
with  an  upward  curving  line,  to  a  point  at  either  end.  The  skeleton  of 


592  A7    PROVEN. 

the  boat  is  made  of  light  wood;  the  covering  is  of  tanned  sealskin, 
sewed  together  by  the  native  women  with  sinew  thread,  and  with  a 
strength  and  dexterity  quite  astonishing.  Not  a  drop  of  water  finds  its 
way  through  their  seams,  and  the  skin  itself  is  perfectly  waterproof. 
The  boat  is  about  nine  inches  deep,  and  the  top  is  covered  like  the  bot- 
tom. There  is  no  opening  into  it,  except  a  round  hole  in  the  center, 
which  admits  the  hunter  as  far  as  his  hips.  This  hole  is  surrounded  with 
a  wooden  rirn,  over  which  the  kayaker  laces  the  lower  edge  of  his 
water-tight  jacket,  and  thus  fastens  himself  in  and  keeps  the  water  out. 
He  propels  himself  with  a  single  oar  about  six  feet  long,  which  termi- 
nates in  a  blade  or  paddle  at  either  end.  This  instrument  of  locomotion 
is  grasped  in  the  center,  and  is  dipped  in  the  water  alternately  to  right 
and  left.  The  boat  is  graceful  as  a  duck,  and  light  as  a  feather.  It  has 
no  ballast  and  no  keel,  and  it  rides  almost  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
It  is  therefore  necessarily  top-heavy.  Long  practice  is  required  to  man- 
age it,  and  no  tight-rope  dancer  ever  needed  more  steady  nerve  and  skill 
of  balance  than  this  same  savage  kayaker.  Yet  in  this  frail  craft  he 
does  not  hesitate  to  ride  seas  which  would  swamp  an  ordinary  boat,  or 
to  break  through  surf  which  may  sweep  completely  over  him.  But  he 
is  used  to  hard  battles,  and  in  spite  of  every  fortune  he  keeps  himself  up- 
right." Six  days  were  here  spent  in  the  effort  to  secure  dogs,  but  only 
half  a  dozen  old  ones  and  a  less  number  of  young  ones  were  all  that  they 
were  able  to  procure,  an  epidemic  among  them  having  left  many  hunt- 
ers without  any,  and  none  with  their  usual  number.  To  part  with  their 
dogs  was  to  run  the  risk  of  starvation;  and  though  Hayes  offered  a  lib- 
eral equivalent  in  pork,  beef,  and  canned  meats,  they  preferred  to  retain 
the  means  of  hunting  the  seal  and  walrus.  The  chief  trader,  a  Mr. 
Hansen,  with  great  courtesy  placed  his  own  team  at  the  service  of  the 
explorer,  but  did  not  feel  at  liberty  either  to  advise  or  command  the  na- 
tives to  part  with  theirs. 

A  government  house,  one  story  high,  and  plastered  over  with  pitch 
and  tar,  is  the  most  conspicuous  house  in  Proven.  A  shop  and  a  lodg- 
ing house  for  a  few  Danish  employes  stand  next  in  importance.  Two 
or  three  less  imposing  structures  of  the  pitch  and  tar  description,  inhab- 


DEATH  OF  CARUTHERS.  593 

ited  by  Danes  who  have  married  native  women ;  a  few  huts  of  stone 
and  turf,  roofed  with  boards,  and  overgrown  with  grass;  about  an  equal 
number  of  like  description,  but  without  the  board  roof,  and  a  dozen  seal- 
skin tents,  all  pitched  about  promiscuously  among  the  rocks,  make  up 
the  town.  There  is  a  blubber-house  down  by  the  beach,  and  a  stunted 
flag-staff  on  the  hill,  from  which  the  Danish  flag,  gracefully  waving  in 
the  wind,  gave  the  place  a  show  of  dignity.  The  dignity  of  civilization 
was  further  preserved  by  an  old  cannon  which  lay  on  the  grass  under 
the  flag,  whose  rusty  throat  made  the  welkin  ring  as  our  anchor  touched 
the  Greenland  rocks. 

Leaving  Proven,  that  is,  "Experiment,"  on  the  i2th,  they  reached 
Upernavik,  that  is  "  Upper  Harbor,"  72°  40'  by  56°,  on  the  evening  of 
the  same  day.  Here  they  found  a  Danish  vessel  taking  on  a  cargo  of 
oil  and  skins  for  Copenhagen,  which  gave  an  opportunity  of  sending 
letters  home.  Upernavik  was  found  to  differ  but  little  from  Proven — 
a  few  huts  more  and  about  two  hundred  inhabitants,  Danes,  half-breeds, 
and  Esquimaux,  besides  a  church  and  parsonage.  Gilson  Caruthers, 
the  boatswain  and  carpenter  of  the  schooner,  having  been  found  unex- 
pectedly dead  in  his  berth,  the  commander  had  occasion  to  visit  the  par- 
sonage, and  thus  describes  some  of  its  features  and  personages :  "  I 
tapped  at  the  door,  and  was  ushered  into  a  cosy  little  apartment — the 
fastidious  neatness  of  which  left  no  doubt  as  to  the  sex  of  its  occupants — 
by  the  oddest  specimen  of  womankind  that  ever  answered  bell.  She 
was  a  full-blown  Esquimaux,  with  coppery  complexion  and  black  hair, 
which  was  twisted  into  a  knot  on  the  top  of  her  head.  She  wore  a 
jacket  which  extended  to  her  waist,  sealskin  pantaloons,  and  boots  reach- 
ing above  the  knees,  dyed  scarlet,  and  embroidered  in  a  manner  that 
would  astonish  the  girls  of  Dresden.  The  room  was  redolent  of  the 
fragrant  rose  and  mignonette  and  heliotrope,  which  nestled  in  the  sun- 
light under  the  snow  white  curtains.  A  canary  chirped  on  its  perch 
above  the  door,  a  cat  was  purring  on  the  hearth-rug,  and  an  unmistaka- 
ble gentleman  put  out  a  soft  white  hand  to  give  me  welcome.  It  was 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Anton,  missionary  of  the  place.  Mrs.  Anton  soon 
emerged  from  a  snug  little  chamber  adjoining.  Her  sister  came  in  im- 
38 


594  A    CLUSTER   OF  BERGS. 

mediately  afterward,  and  we  were  soon  grouped  about  a  homelike  table." 
The'y  were  detained  four  days  at  Upernavik  by  the  burial  of  Caruth- 
ers,  and  procuring  the  last  Arctic  supplies,  including  five  men,  an  inter- 
preter with  his  dog  team,  and  the  forementioned  team  of  the  trader, 
Hansen.  Leaving  this  limit  of  safe  navigation  and  civilized  existence 
behind,  they  soon  encountered  a  heavy  line  of  icebergs,  some  of  which 
were  judged  to  be  two  hundred  feet  high  and  a  mile  long,  and  spent 
four  days — "  now  at  anchor,  then  moored  to  a  berg,  and  again  keeping 
free  from  danger  through  a  hard  struggle  with  the  oars" — in  threading 
their  dangerous  way  through  this  labyrinth. 

"  The  ice  was  here, 
The  ice  was  there, 

The  ice  was  all  around ; 
It  creaked  and  growled , 
And  roared  and  howled 

Like  demons  in  a  swound." 

At  one  time  they  were  in  imminent  danger  of  being  crushed  by  the 
breaking  up  of  one  of  the  bergs,  and  only  escaped  by  anchoring  to 
another  at  a  little  distance  and  hauling  on  a  rope,  getting  only  twenty 
yards  away,  when  a  huge  mass  tumbled  into  the  sea.  As  it  was,  they 
lost  the  mainboom,  and  small  fragments  of  the  ice  were  showered  upon 
the  deck.  Hayes  counted  500  separate  bergs  without  exhausting  the  list. 
"  Birds  and  beasts  and  human  forms  and  architectural  designs  took  shape 
in  the  distant  masses  of  blue  and  white.  The  dome  of  St.  Peter's 
loomed  above  the  spire  of  Old  Trinity;  and  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Pyramids  nestled  a  Byzantine  tower  and  a  Grecian  temple.  To  the  east- 
ward the  sea  was  dotted  with  little  islets — -dark  specks  upon  a  brilliant 
surface.  Icebergs  great  and  small  crowded  through  the  channels  which 
divided  them,  until  in  the  far  distance  they  appeared  massed  together, 
terminating  against  a  snow-covered  plain  that  sloped  upward  until  it  was 
lost  in  a  dim  line  of  bluish  whiteness.  It  was  the  mer-de-glace,  or  sea 
of  ice,  which  covers  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  Greenland  Continent. 
The  snow-covered  slope  was  a  glacier  descending  therefrom — the  parent 


HANS,    THE  MARRIED.  595 

stem  from  which  had  been  discharged,  at  irregular  intervals,  many  of  the 
icebergs  which  troubled  us  so  much." 

They  arrived  at  Tessuissak,  or  Bay  Place,  which  comprised  a  few 
Esquimaux  tents  and  permanent  huts,  on  the   2ist,  where    they  made 
some  exchanges  with  the  natives,  and  were  detained  by  drift-ice  until 
the  evening  of  the  22d.     Passing  Cape  Shackleton,  Horse's  Head,  and 
Wilcox  Point,  with  the  Devil's  Thumb  in  sight,  they  entered  Melville 
Bay  on  the  23d,  with  nothing  else  in  sight  but  the  "swelling  and  limit- 
less billows" — a  piece  of   rare  good  fortune.     But  a  snowstorm    soon 
came  on  and  after  ten  hours  of  rapid  sailing  under  a  favorable  wind  they 
came  suddenly  on  an  iceberg,  which  they  passed  so  close,  that  "  the  fore- 
yard  actually  grazed  its  side,  and  the  surf  was  thrown  back  upon  them 
from  its  white  wall."     After  lying  becalmed  some  hours  about  the  middle 
of  the  bay,  a  favorable  wind  again  arose  on  the  24th,  and  they  sped  for- 
ward until  Cape  York  was  seen  "advancing  in  the  bosom  of  the  sea." 
On  the  25th  they  encountered  the  first  field  of  ice,  about  fifteen  miles 
wide,  but  easily  bored  through  under  a  full  pressure  of  canvas  filled  by 
a  favoring  wind.     It  had  taken  fifty-five  hpurs  to  traverse  Melville  Bay. 
A  little  to  the  east  of  the  cape,  at   Kikertait,    or    "Place  of  Islands," 
Hayes,  as  he  had  anticipated,  picked  up  Hans,  the  young  Esquimaux 
protege  of  Dr.  Kane,  who  had  deserted  that  navigator  some  six  years 
before  to  marry  a  young  woman  of  this  region.     In  a  solitary  tent,  apart 
from  the  rest  of  the  tribe,  and  overlooking  the  bay,  he   was  found  with 
his  wife,  Merkut,  their  baby,  Pingasuk,  that  is  "The  Pretty  One,"  a 
brother-in-law  and  mother-in-law,  apparently  on  the  look-out  for  deliv- 
erance.    Dr.  Hayes  now  took  him,  his  wife  and  child,  leaving  the  wife's 
brother  and  mother  behind,  without  any  regret  on  his  part.     The  whole 
tribe  numbers  only  about  twenty  besides  the  family  of  Hans.     With  a 
favoring  wind  they  continued  to  push    rapidly    to    the   north,    toward 
Wolstenholme  Sound,  sailing  at  one  time  between  two  sections  of  an 
iceberg  connected  under  water,  the  schooner  twice  grazing  the  common 
base  with  her  keel.     On  the  evening  of  the  26th  they  were  off  Booth 
Bay,  the  commander's  winter  quarters  in  his  boat-journey  of  1854;  and 
on  the  next  day  arrived  off  Hakluyt  Island  in  Whale  Sound.     Here  thev 


596  .       GREAT  DANGER  IN  THE  ICE. 

encountered  an  ice-pack,  which  they  passed  through  in  safety,  though  not 
without  danger;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  28th,  saw  Cape  Alexander 
at  the  entrance  to  Smith  Sound,  twenty  miles  ahead.  In  the  afternoon, 
after  having  actually  got  within  the  Sound,  they  fell  in  with  another  ice- 
pack. While  menaced  by  this  danger,  a  greater  one  arose.  A  terrific 
northern  gale  sprang  up;  the  spray  flew  over- the  deck,  sheathing  deck, 
spars  and  rigging,  as  well  as  men,  in  coats  of  ice.  They  found  partial 
shelter  from  the  hurricane  under  the  cliffs,  or  they  would  have  been 
driven  possibly  beyond  Cape  York,  or  upon  the  ice-pack.  Off  Cape 
Alexander  it  was  one  mass  of  seething  foam,  whirled  upward  ever  and 
anon  by  the  ever-changing  wind  gusts. 

Thus  detained  until  the  3Oth,  the  direction  of  the  gale  then  changed, 
driving  them  before  it  and  threatening  to  carry  them  into  mid-channel  from 
the  protection  of  the  eastern  cliffs,  -but  they  succeeded  in  casting  anchor 
near  the  shore.  The  next  day  the  vessel  dragged  her  anchors,  losing 
one;  and  was  driven  on  some  bergs,  crushing  the  stern-boat  and  bul- 
warks, and  veering  round,  lost  her  jib-boom  and  had  her  bowsprit  and 
foremast  sprung.  Scudding  before  the  wind,  with  mainsail  spread  to 
get  away  from  the  icebergs,  the  sail  was  torn  to  pieces,  but  they  had 
been  driven  once  more  within  the  Sound.  An  effort  was  now  made  to 
pass  to  the  west  side,  toward  Cape  Isabella,  but  encountering  the  solid 
pack  for  the  second  time,  there  was  no  alternative  but  to  hug  the  Green- 
land coast,  in  an  effort  to  gain  Fog  Inlet,  twenty  miles  above  Cnpe 
Alexander.  The  gale,  after  a  temporary  lull,  set  in  again  from  the 
north,  and  drove  them  once  more  south  of  Cape  Alexander,  on  the  ist  of 
September.  Another  fight  was  made  for  the  Sound,  during  the  next  two 
days,  but  only  to  cripple  the  vessel  more  severely.  "  Her  rudder  was 
split,  and  two  of  its  pintles  were  broken  off,  leaving  only  one  uninjured; 
the  stern-post  was  started,  fragments  of  the  cut- water  and  keel  were  float- 
ing alongside  her  in  the  sea;  and  she  was  apparently  in  a  sinking  condi- 
tion. As  the  ice  touched  the  schooner,  she  groaned  like  a  conscious 
thing  in  pain,  and  writhed  and  twisted  as  if  to  escape  her  adversary, 
trembling  in  every  timber  from  truck  to  keelson."  Soon  she  was  lifted 
up  by  the  pressure  of  the  ice  under  her  keel,  and  cradled  like  Bach's 


CAPS  HATHBRTON.  597 

ship,  in  1837,  for  eight  hours,  but  was  then  let  down — first  her  bow,  and 
then  the  stern — by  the  movement  of  the  floes.  She  had  been  so  strained 
that  she  was  found  to  leak  considerably,  but  one  hour  in  four  at  the 
pumps  kept  the  water  from  gaining  in  the  hold. 

It  was,  however,  becoming  clear  to  commander  and  men  that  she  was 
scarcely  in  fit  condition  to  wage  another  battle  with  the  ice.  The  marvel 
was  that  she  did  not  become  a  total  wreck;  it  is  not  known  that  any  ves- 
sel of  her  size  and  build  ever  went  through  such  a  series  of  desperate 
struggles  and  lived.  •  Hayes  had  hoped  to  get  beyond  Cape  Isabella,  on 
the  west  side  of  Smith  Sound,  as  high  perhaps  as  latitude  80°,  in  Grinnell 
Land,  which  he  had  personally  reached  in  Kane's  Expedition.  Having 
twice  failed  to  penetrate  the  ice-pack  in  that  direction,  he  strove  to  make 
Cape  Hatherton,  in  78°  30',  on  the  Greenland  side — the  most  prominent 
headland  of  the  peninsula  which  is  now  known  by  his  name*  '  Foiled  in 
both  endeavors  by  the  wind  and  ice,  and  perhaps  the  lateness  of  their 
arrival,  they  now  crept  back  into  Hartstene  Bay,  and  anchored  in  safety 
some  miles  to  the  northeast  of  Cape  Alexander.  They  had  won  at  least 
a  partial  victory  by  securing  an  anchorage  within  the  sound.  Not  yet 
content  to  give  up  the  struggle  for  a  higher  latitude  before  going  into 
winter  quarters,  Hayes  set  out  to  explore  the  sound  to  the  north  along 
the  Greenland  shore,  which  had  the  usual  lane  of  open  water  between 
the  land  ice  and  the  ice-pack. 

Leaving  the  sailing  master  to  make  such  repairs  as  were  practicable 
under  the  circumstances,  Hayes  went  up  the  sound  in  the  whale  boat  to 
Littleton  Island,  in  78°  20',  Inglefield's  limit  in  1852,  where  his  compan- 
ion, Dodge,  shot  a  reindeer,  the  sole  inhabitant  of  the  desolate  island. 
This  was  the  only  satisfactory  result  of  the  exploration,  for  the  ice-pack 
was  found  as  impassable  for  the  schooner  as  it  had  already  proved.  The 
interpreter  and  Hans  had  also  killed  two  deer,  thus  securing  a  valuable 
addition  to  their  provisions. 

Both  parties  having  returned  to  the  vessel,  one  more  effort  was  made 
to  work  to  the  northward  through  the  pack  with  oars  and  hawser,  and 
other  appliances.  Gaining  here  a  little  with  hard  effort,  and  there 
losing  it  by  the  drift  of  the  ice ;  occasionally  a  bit  of  open  water,  and  then 


598 


HARTSTENE  BAT. 


a  squeeze  or  nip  from  the  ice,  they  worked  manfully  but  hopelessly  on, 
until  they  were  hemmed  in  by  the  pack,  with  new  ice  forming  around 
and  threatening  to  inclose  them  permanently  in  its  embrace.  A  favor- 
able wind  arising,  they  put  back  into  Haftstene  Bay,  reaching  a  safe 
harbor  behind  a  cluster  of  islets  near  its  head,  and  Hayes  announced  that 
they  would  there  establish  their  winter  quarters. 


CHAPTER   LXVI. 

HAYES  IN  WINTER  QUARTERS MANIFOLD  PREPARATIONS AN  ICE- 
FIORD  EXPLORED "BROTHER  JOHN'S  GLACIER" SONNTAG  SUR- 
VEYS THE  GLACIER A  WELL-FILLED  LARDER  AN  ARCTIC 

JOURNAL  —  KNORR'S  SPEECH  —  UNUSUAL  WEATHER — A  SERIOUS 
CALAMITY AURORA  BOREALIS SEARCH  FOR  SONNTAG AC- 
COUNT OF  SONNTAG' s  DISASTER. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  first  week  in  September  they  had  finally 
cast  anchor  in  the  harbor  referred  to,  which  Hayes  now  named  Port 
Foulke,  in  honor  of  one  of  the  chief  patrons  of  the  expedition,  William 
Parker  Foulke,  of  Philadelphia.  It  was  exposed  to  the  southwest,  but  in 
other  directions  well  sheltered,  and  little  trouble  was  anticipated,  as  the 
prevailing  wind  was  from  the  northeast.  Yet  they  had  two  pretty  severe 
rubs  from  the  floes  driven  in  upon  them  by  southwest  gales,  before  the 
harbor  became  entirely  closed  for  the  jeason.  They  now  proceeded  to 
clear  the  schooner,  conveying  her  stores  and  rigging  to  a  stone  building 
erected  by  them  on  a  ledge  of  the  shore  some  thirty  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  harbor.  The  vessel  was  then  roofed  over,  giving  a  room  eight 
feet  high  in  the  center,  and  six  and  a  half  at  the  sides.  The  hold  was 
fitted  up  for  the  crew  and  the  cook-stove  brought  there  from  the  galley. 
Meanwhile  a  hunting  party  was  organized  under  the  leadership  of  Jen- 
sen, and  they  seldom  came  back  empty  handed.  Reindeer  were  encoun- 
tered in  herds  of  ten  or  more,  and  hares  and  foxes  were  also  abundant. 
An  observatory  was  erected  under  the  superintendence  of  the  astronomer 
of  the  expedition,  August  Sonntag,  who  was  also  second  in  command  of 
the  schooner,  and  the  commander's  most  valued  lieutenant.  Pendulum 
experiments,  magnetic  and  meteorological  observations,  and  variations  of 
temperature,  were  carefully  noted  and.  recorded. 

Five  weeks  having  been  thus  busily  occupied  in  manifold  prepara- 

599 


600  BROTHER   JOHN'S   GLACIER. 

tions,  they  took  formal  possession  of  their  winter  residence  on  the 
schooner  on  the  ist  of  October.  The  temperature  now  sank  to  10° 
below  zero,  and  they  were  soon  completely  frozen  in,  which  gave  them 
security  against  the  ice-floes  from  the  exposed  quarter,  and  easy  access 
over  the  ice  to  the  storehouse  and  observatory,  and  to  the  hunting 
grounds  beyond.  The  sun  disappeared  on  the  I5th  of  October,  and  they 
were  just  entering  on  the  Arctic  night  of  four  months,  but  still  had  nine 
hours  of  twilight  daily.  On  the  i6th  Hayes  made  a  second  trip  with  his 
dog-team — his  first,  a  few  days  before,  had  been  merely  a  test  excursion 
over  the  harbor — and  explored  the  fiord  extending  inland  from  the  head 
of  Hartstene  Bay  some  six  miles,  with  a  width  of  three  or  four  miles. 
The  team  comprised  twelve  dogs,  capable  of  making  six  miles  in  twenty- 
eight  minutes.  The  traces  were  just  long  enough  to  place  the  shoulders 
of  the  dogs  all  in  line,  twenty  feet  in  front  of  the  runners  of  the  sledge. 
The  dogs  are  guided  by  the  whip  and  voice  of  the  driver,  and  the  whip 
is  seldom  applied  to  the  bodies  of  the  animals,  being  generally  thrown  on 
the  snow  to  the  right  or  left,  as  an  indication  of  the  direction  to  be  taken, 
as  well  as  a  gentle  admonition  that  it  is  well  in  hand,  to  be  used  on  the 
refractory  or  indolent.  They  are,  however,  liable  to  become  unmanage- 
able in  the  hands  of  an  unskilled'driver,  especially  when  distracted  by  the 
uncovering  of  a  fox  or  other  animal,  wrnch  they  very  naturally  desire  to 
pursue  direct,  regardless  of  all  hints  to  take  a  different  course. 

In  this  excursion,  the  goal  of  which  was  Kane's  glacier,  named  by 
him  in  1855,  "My  Brother  John's  Glacier,"  Hayes  discovered  and  named 
Alida  Lake  and  Chester  Valley,  between  the  head  of  the  fiord  and  the 
glacier.  He  also  fell  in  with  about  one  hundred  reindeer,  of  which  the 
driver  and  he  killed  two  each.  The  ensuing  day  one  of  the  seamen  dis- 
covered several  Esquimaux  graves,  but  marked  with  no  special  charac- 
teristics— mere  stone-piles  heaped  up  without  regard  to  symmetry  or 
points  of  the  compass.  On  the  ipth  Sonntag  surveyed  the  glacier;  and 
two  days  later,  Hayes  made  a  second  trip,  reaching  its  foot  in  forty  min- 
utes from  the  schooner.  The  purpose  of  this  visit  was  to  place  stakes 
and  make  measurements  of  angles  formed  with  hilltops  or  other  station- 
ary objects,  which  were  to  be  re-measured  the  next  year  to  ascertain  the 


A   NIGHT  JOURNET. 


601 


movement  of  the  glacier.  During  his  absence,  seventeen  reindeer  were 
killed  by  three  of  his  men,  nine  of  which  were  brought  down  by  Hans. 
The  birthday  of  the  sailing-master,  S.  J.  McCormick,  was  suitably  cele- 
brated on  the  return  of  the  commander,  by  a  "big  dinner,"  which 
showed  no  lack  of  comfort  and  luxuries  in  that  remote,  inhospitable  clime, 
but  all  "the  good  things,"  except  the  salmon  and  venison,  had  been  im- 
ported from  The  Hub.  These  feasts  were  a  regular  feature  of  this  par- 
ticular expedition;  the  entry  into  winter  quarters,  the  birthdays  of  the 
officers,  besides  Christmas  and  other  recognized  festal  days,  were  made 


BROTHER   JOHN'S  GLACIER. 

occasions  for  them.  They  received  the  encouragement  of  the  com- 
mander, who  saw  in  them  a  help  to  promote  contentment  and  good  fel- 
lowship among  the  members  of  the  party. 

On  the  22d  of  October  Hayes  again  set  out  with  five  of  his  strong- 
est men,  and  a  hand-sledge  laden  with  a  tent,  buffalo-skins,  a  cooking 
lamp,  three  quarts  of  alcohol,  and  three  of  oil,  for  fuel  and  provisions 
for  eight  days.  Though  there  was  now  no  daylight,  properly  speaking, 
even  at  noon,  there  was  light  enough  to  travel  by.  The  purpose  of  this 


602  A  FULL   LARDER. 

new  expedition  was  to  explore  the  glacier,  and  the  first  encampment 
was  at  its  foot,  with  the  thermometer  at  1 1  °  below  zero.  The  second 
day  was  spent  in  scaling  the  front,  and  progressing  upward  some  five 
miles,  when  they  encamped,  with  the  thermometer  several  degrees  lower 
than  on  the  previous  night,  but  so  tired  that  after  a  hearty  supper  they 
slept  soundly.  On  the  third  day  they  made  thirty  miles,  on  the  fourth 
twenty-five,  the  ascent  being  for  those  two  days  quite  gradual,  and  the 
chief  difficulty  arising  from  the  deep  layer  of  snow  through  the  crust  of 
which  the  foot  sank  at  every  step.  The  temperature  had  now  fallen  to 
30° — and  to  34°  during  the  ensuing  night — when  it  was  judged  advisa- 
ble to  return.  They  were  five  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
and  seventy  miles  from  the  ship,  "in  the  midst  of  a  vast  frozen  Sahara 
immeasurable  to  the  human  eye,"  with  a  fierce  wind  blowing  over  its 
surface,  and  threatening  to  chill  the  adventurers  into  helpless  inactivity 
and  death.  Fortunately  for  them,  by  turning  their  faces  toward  the 
harbor  the  wind  was  in  their  backs,  and  though  cold  and  fierce,  it  helped 
them  to  make  rapid  progress  down  the  slightly  inclined  plane  of  the 
glacier.  After  a  run  of  forty  miles  they  encamped  for  the  night,  and 
the  next  evening  reached  the  schooner,  where  they  learned  the  thermom- 
eter had  sunk  at  no  time  during  their  absence  of  five  days  lower  than  12° 
below  zero,  showing  a  difference  of  22°. 

Meanwhile  Sonntag  had  ascertained  the  distance  from  the  western- 
most of  the  three  islets — they  had  been  already  named  Radclifte,  Knorr, 
and  Starr  in  honor  of  three  officers  of  the  expedition — to  Cape  Alex- 
ander, eight  nautical  miles;  Cape  Isabella,  thirty-one;  and  Cape  Sabine 
the  easternmost  point  of  Ellesmere  Land  to  the  northwest,  in  latitude 
78°  45',  forty-two  miles.  On  the  28th,  the  day  after  their  return  from 
the  excursion  on  the  glacier,  their  stock  of  game  was  found  to  be  74 
reindeer,  21  foxes,  12  hares,  i  seal,  14  eider-ducks,  8  dovekies,  6  auks, 
and  i  ptarmigan,  besides  some  two  dozen  reindeer  deposited  in  caches 
where  killed,  awaiting  transport  to  the  vessel. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  with  the  moon — whose  light  was  now  the 
chief  reliance  in  traveling — four  or  five  days  past  the  full,  Sonntag  set 
out  on  a  sledge-journey  to  Van  Rensselaer  Harbor,  but  was  only  able  to 


SPEECH  OF  KNORR.  603 

reach  Fog  Inlet,  the  way  being  blocked  by  impassable  ice-hummocks  on 
the  one  hand,  and  open  water  on  the  other.  On  the  return  trip  they 
encountered  and  captured,  after  a  long  and  exciting  chase  and  a  fierce 
and  dangerous  battle,  a  bear  and  its  cub,  and  reached  the  schooner  on  the 
6th.  Four  days  later  they  were  surprised  by  a  thaw,  which  was  rather 
a  source  of  discomfort  than  pleasure,  the  chief  advantage  derived  being 
a  temporary  reduction  in  the  consumption  of  coal.  Their  stock  of  this 
valuable  commodity  was,  however,  likely  to  prove  sufficient,  as  they 
had  still  about  thirty-four  tons,  and  had  been  using  only  about  four 
bucketfuls  a  day  for  their  two  stoves.  The  temperature  was  kept 
habitually  above  60°,  and  was  oftener  too  warm  than  too  cold  on  the 
vessel. 

On  the  nth  of  November  appeared  the  first  number  of  the  "Port 
Foulke  Weekly  News,"  which  had  been  duly  announced  on  handbills 
and  posters  for  a  week  previous,  and  was  now  ushered  in  with  a  great 
flourish.  "Agreeable  to  national  usage,"  a  meeting  was  called  and  form- 
ally organized,  with  president,  vice-president,  secretary  and  orator  of 
the  day.  The  assistant  editor,  who  was  the  commander's  secretary, 
George  F.  Knorr,  and  only  eighteen  years  old,  was  elected  orator  by 
acclamation,  and  delivered  the  following  speech: 

"  FELLOW-CITIZENS  : — Called  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  this  unen- 
lightened community  to  inaugurate  the  new  era  which  has  dawned  upon 
a  benighted  region,  it  is  my  happy  privilege  to  announce  that  we  have, 
at  the  cost  of  much  time,  labor  and  means,  supplied  a  want  which  has  too 
long  been  felt  by  the  people  of  Port  Foulke.  We  are,  fellow-citizens, 
no  longer  without  that  inalienable  birthright  of  every  American  citizen 
— a  free  press  and  exponent  of  public  opinion.  Overcome  with  the 
gravity  of  my  situation,  I  feel  myself  unable  to  make  you  a  speech  be- 
fitting the  solemnity  and  importance  of  the  occasion.  It  is  proper,  how- 
ever, that  I  should  state,  in  behalf  of  myself  and  my  Bohemian  brother 
(Henry  W.  Dodge,  the  mate  and  editor-in-chief),  that,  in  observance  of 
a  time-honored  custom,  we  will  keep  our  opinions  for  ourselves  and  our 
arguments  for  the^  public.  The  inhabitants  of  Port  Foulke  desire  the 
speedy  return  of  the  sun;  we  will  advocate  and  urge  it.  They  wish 


606  MID-WINTER. 

A  serious  calamity  now  befell  the  expedition  in  the  loss  of  twenty  - 
seven  out  of  thirty-six  dogs,  during  the  first  three  weeks  of  December, 
by  the  same  epidemic  which  had  committed  such  havoc  in  Greenland, 
and  had  made  it  so  difficult  to  secure  the  necessary  supply,  none  too 
large  from  the  first.  On  the  2ist — by  the  light  of  the  new  moon  for 
which  he  had  waited,  but  in  the  very  middle  of  the  Arctic  night — Sonn- 
tag,  with  Hans  as  driver,  set  out  with  a  sledge  drawn  by  the  nine  sur- 
vivors of  the  pack,  and  laden  with  the  two  men  and  provisions  for  twelve 
days,  in  an  effort  to  reach  some  native  villages  to  procure  more  dogs. 
The  water  in  the  harbor  had  now  frozen  to  a  depth  of  six  and  a  half 
feet,  thus  forming  a  continuous  encasement  for  the  lightened  schooner. 
Christmas  was  duly  celebrated  with  a  big  dinner  and  such  festivities 
as  their  circumstances  would  permit — all  the  more  necessary  now  that 
the  Arctic  night  had  grown  monotonous  and  wearisome,  having  lost  all 
of  its  novelty,  and  given  rise  to  no  diversity  of  experience.  The  "Weekly 
News  "  made  its  appearance  regularly,  now  with  one  editor,  and  then  an- 
other. New  Year's  of  1861  had  come  and  gone,  and  had  been  duly 
observed.  The  old  year  had  been  rung  out,  and  the  new  rung  in,  after 
the  stereotyped  formula,  amid  cannonading  from  their  solitary  little  swivel 
gun,  and  the  fitful  glare  of  their  rockets,  but  no' answering  gun  or  light 
relieved  the  dreariness;  and  their  efforts  could  only  serve  to  render  the 
sense  of  isolation  more  intense — Knorr's  "  Universal  Yankee  Nation, 
brought  to  a  point,"  indeed. 

On  the  6th  of  January  they  witnessed  two  displays  of  the  Aurora 
Borealis,  the  only  ones  hitherto  observed ;  and  a  week  later  the  snowfall 
for  the  season  had  increased  to  53^  inches — an  addition  of  6^  since 
previous  computation.  Another  week  passed,  and  at  noon  "  a  faint  twi- 
light flush  mounted  the  southern  sky" — the  welcome  harbinger  of  the 
Arctic  day.  It  suggested  to  the  commander  as  a  text  for  the  day, — 
"  Truly  the  light  is  sweet,  and  a  pleasant  thing  it  is  for  the  eye  to  be- 
hold the  sun."  "And  yet,"  says  Hayes,  "there  is  in  the  Arctic  night 
much  that  is  attractive  to  the  lover  of  Nature.  There  is  in  the  flashing 
Aurora,  in  the  play  of  the  moonlight  upon  the  hills  and  icebergs,  in  the 
wonderful  clearness  of  the  starlight,  in  the  broad  expanse  of  the  ice- 


THE  LOSS  OF   SONNTAG.  607 

fields,  in  the  lofty  grandeur  of  the  mountains  and  glaciers,  in  the  naked 
fierceness  of  the  storms,  much  that  is  sublime  and  beautiful.  But  they 
speak  a  language  of  their  own — a  language  rough,  rugged,  and  severe." 
But  the  stillness  of  Arctic  scenery,  away  from  the  local  turmoil  and 
small  activities  of  the  vessel,  was  found  oppressive.  The  heavens  above 
and  the  earth  beneath  revealed  only  an  endless  and  fathomless  quiet.  No 
footfall  of  living  thing  reaches  the  ear;  no  wild  beasts  howl  through  the 
solitude;  no  cry  of  bird  enlivens  the  scene;  there  is  no  tree  among  whose 
branches  the  winds  can  sigh  and  moan.  Silence  ceases  to  be  negative; 
it  becomes  endowed  with  positive  attributes;  one  seems  to  hear,  and  feel, 
and  see  it.  It  stands  forth  a  frightful  specter,  filling  the  mind  with  the 
overpowering  consciousness  of  universal  death.  "  I  have  seen,"  con- 
tinues Hayes,  "  no  expression  on  the  face  of  Nature  so  filled  with  terror 
as  the  silence  of  the  Arctic  night." 

Five  weeks  had  now  elapsed  since  the  departure  of  Sonntag  for  the 
Esquimaux  encampments  to  the  south,  and  no  tidings  had  been  received, 
'reparations  were  made  by  the  commander  to  go  in  search  of  him,  and 
>me  preliminary  examinations  had  been  effected  to  ascertain  whether  he 
lad  gone  round  Cape  Alexander,  or  had  been  compelled  to  cross  the 
glacier.  Two  days'  detention  from  high  winds  had  lengthened  the  ab- 
sence to  thirty-nine  days,  when,  on  the  2gth  of  January,  as  the  party  was 
about  to  begin  the  journey  on  foot,  two  Esquimaux  arrived  from  Iteplik 
in  the  region  of  Whale  Sound,  with  the  sad  intelligence  that  Sonntag 
was  lost.  Hans  had  reached  their  village,  and  was  now  coming  behind 
with  his  worn-out  dogs.  They  had  made  the  run  without  a  halt,  with 
five  dogs.  On  the  last  day  of  the  month  Hans  arrived  at  the  schooner 
without  dogs  or  sled,  but  accompanied  by  his  wife's  brother.  They  had 
left  father  and  mother,  with  five  broken-down  dogs — all  that  remained 
of  the  team — at  the  glacier,  and  come  on  afoot.  By  the  death  of  Sonn- 
tag Hans  had  become  master  of  the  expedition,  and  utilized  its  resources 
in  bringing  his  wife's  family  from  Cape  York,  four  dogs  having  died 
under  the  strain,  and  the  other  five  being  utterly  exhausted.  His  account 
of  the  disaster  to  Sonntag  was,  that  after  having  passed  Cape  Alexander 
in  safety,  and  having  made  two  fruitless  attempts  to  find  natives  at  the 


606  MID-WINTER. 

A  serious  calamity  now  befell  the  expedition  in  the  loss  of  twenty  - 
seven  out  of  thirty-six  dogs,  during  the  first  three  weeks  of  December, 
by  the  same  epidemic  which  had  committed  such  havoc  in  Greenland, 
and  had  made  it  so  difficult  to  secure  the  necessary  supply,  none  too 
large  from  the  first.  On  the  2ist — by  the  light  of  the  new  moon  for 
which  he  had  waited,  but  in  the  very  middle  of  the  Arctic  night — Sonn- 
tag,  with  Hans  as  driver,  set  out  with  a  sledge  drawn  by  the  nine  sur- 
vivors of  the  pack,  and  laden  with  the  two  men  and  provisions  for  twelve 
days,  in  an  effort  to  reach  some  native  villages  to  procure  more  dogs. 
The  water  in  the  harbor  had  now  frozen  to  a  depth  of  six  and  a  half 
feet,  thus  forming  a  continuous  encasement  for  the  lightened  schooner. 
Christmas  was  duly  celebrated  with  a  big  dinner  and  such  festivities 
as  tfceir  circumstances  would  permit — all  the  more  necessary  now  that 
the  Arctic  night  had  grown  monotonous  and  wearisome,  having  lost  all 
of  its  novelty,  and  given  rise  to  no  diversity  of  experience.  The  "Weekly 
News  "  made  its  appearance  regularly,  now  with  one  editor,  and  then  an- 
other. New  Year's  of  1861  had  come  and  gone,  and  had  been  duly 
observed.  The  old  year  had  been  rung  out,  and  the  new  rung  in,  after 
the  stereotyped  formula,  amid  cannonading  from  their  solitary  little  swivel 
gun,  and  the  fitful  glare  of  their  rockets,  but  no' answering  gun  or  light 
relieved  the  dreariness;  and  their  efforts  could  only  serve  to  render  the 
sense  of  isolation  more  intense — Knorr's  "  Universal  Yankee  Nation, 
brought  to  a  point,"  indeed. 

On  the  6th  of  January  they  witnessed  two  displays  of  the  Aurora 
Borealis,  the  only  ones  hitherto  observed ;  and  a  week  later  the  snowfall 
for  the  season  had  increased  to  53^  inches — an  addition  of  6^  since 
previous  computation.  Another  week  passed,  and  at  noon  "  a  faint  twi- 
light flush  mounted  the  southern  sky" — the  welcome  harbinger  of  the 
Arctic  day.  It  suggested  to  the  commander  as  a  text  for  the  day, — 
"  Truly  the  light  is  sweet,  and  a  pleasant  thing  it  is  for  the  eye  to  be- 
hold the  sun."  "And  yet,"  says  Hayes,  "there  is  in  the  Arctic  night 
much  that  is  attractive  to  the  lover  of  Nature.  There  is  in  the  flashing 
Aurora,  in  the  play  of  the  moonlight  upon  the  hills  and  icebergs,  in  the 
wonderful  clearness  of  the  starlight,  in  the  broad  expanse  of  the  ice- 


THE  LOSS  OF   SONNTAG.  607 

fields,  in  the  lofty  grandeur  of  the  mountains  and  glaciers,  in  the  naked 
fierceness  of  the  storms,  much  that  is  sublime  and  beautiful.  But  they 
speak  a  language  of  their  own — a  language  rough,  rugged,  and  severe." 
But  the  stillness  of  Arctic  scenery,  away  from  the  local  turmoil  and 
small  activities  of  the  vessel,  was  found  oppressive.  The  heavens  above 
and  the  earth  beneath  revealed  only  an  endless  and  fathomless  quiet.  No 
footfall  of  living  thing  reaches  the  ear;  no  wild  beasts  howl  through  the 
solitude;  no  cry  of  bird  enlivens  the  scene;  there  is  no  tree  among  whose 
branches  the  winds  can  sigh  and  moan.  Silence  ceases  to  be  negative; 
it  becomes  endowed  with  positive  attributes;  one  seems  to  hear,  and  feel, 
and  see  it.  It  stands  forth  a  frightful  specter,  rilling  the  mind  with  the 
overpowering  consciousness  of  universal  death.  "  I  have  seen,"  con- 
tinues Hayes,  "  no  expression  on  the  face  of  Nature  so  filled  with  terror 
as  the  silence  of  the  Arctic  night." 

Five  weeks  had  now  elapsed  since  the  departure  of  Sonntag  for  the 
Esquimaux  encampments  to  the  south,  and  no  tidings  had  been  received, 
'reparations  were  made  by  the  commander  to  go  in  search  of  him,  and 
>me  preliminary  examinations  had  been  effected  to  ascertain  whether  he 
lad  gone  round  Cape  Alexander,  or  had  been  compelled  to  cross  the 
glacier.  Two  days'  detention  from  high  winds  had  lengthened  the  ab- 
sence to  thirty-nine  days,  when,  on  the  29th  of  January,  as  the  party  was 
about  to  begin  the  journey  on  foot,  two  Esquimaux  arrived  from  Iteplik 
in  the  region  of  Whale  Sound,  with  the  sad  intelligence  that  Sonntag 
was  lost.  Hans  had  reached  their  village,  and  was  now  coming  behind 
with  his  worn-out  dogs.  They  had  made  the  run  without  a  halt,  with 
five  dogs.  On  the  last  day  of  the  month  Hans  arrived  at  the  schooner 
without  dogs  or  sled,  but  accompanied  by  his  wife's  brother.  They  had 
left  father  and  mother,  with  five  broken-down  dogs — all  that  remained 
of  the  team — at  the  glacier,  and  come  on  afoot.  By  the  death  of  Sonn- 
tag Hans  had  become  master  of  the  expedition,  and  utilized  its  resources 
in  bringing  his  wife's  family  from  Cape  York,  four  dogs  having  died 
under  the  strain,  and  the  other  five  being  utterly  exhausted.  His  account 
of  the  disaster  to  Sonntag  was,  that  after  having  passed  Cape  Alexander 
in  safety,  and  having  made  two  fruitless  attempts  to  find  natives  at  the 


608  A   CLOSE 

nearest  fishing-stations  beyond,  they  struck  across  for  Northumberland 
Island.  Five  or  six  miles  from  Sorfalik,  on  the  eastern  shore,  where 
they  had  constructed  a  hut,  Sonntag  dismounted  to  warm  himself  by  a 
run  alongside.  Not  noticing  the  weak  spot,  he  broke  through  into  a 
small  ice-crevice,  while  the  driver  was  a  little  way  behind  adjusting  some 
straps.  Coming  up  almost  immediately,  Hans  rescued  him,  apparently 
uninjured,  and  made  all  speed  back  to  the  hut  which  they  had  so  lately 
left.  On  arriving,  Sonntag  was  stiff  and  speechless.  Hans  now  hurried 
him  under  cover,  changed  his  clothing,  applied  such  restoratives  as  were 
accessible,  but  his  efforts  proved  unavailing;  and  after  lingering  about 
twenty-four  hours  in  unbroken  unconsciousness,  Sonntag  died.  Hans 
closed  up  the  hut  to  save  the  body  from  wild  beasts,  and  proceeded  on- 
ward to  fulfill  the  objects  of  the  mission. 

He  finally  fell  in  with  the  Esquimaux  at  Iteplik,  and  was  only  three 
days'  journey  from  the  schooner;  but  the  dead  were  dead,  thought  Hans, 
and  he  proceeded  to  look  out  for  the  living — the  family  of  his  wife,  as 
stated — very  much  to  the  chagrin  of  the  commander,  and  jeopardy  to 
the  interests  of  the  expedition.  How  much  was  conscious  wrong-doing, 
and  how  much  was  perverse  ignorance,  it  was  rather  difficult  to  deter- 
mine. Hayes  had  lost  his  most  valued  assistant,  and  had  only  five  dogs 
left.  With  the  period  for  active  exploration  fast  approaching,  "  Sonn- 
tag's  familiar  acquaintance,"  says  Hayes,  "  with  the  physical  sciences,  and 
his  earnest  enthusiasm  in  everything  that  appertained  to  physical  re- 
search, both  in  the  field  and  study,  made  him  an  invaluable  aid,  while  his 
genial  disposition  and  manly  qualities  gave  him  a  deep  hold  upon  my 
affections.  Similarity  of  taste  and  disposition,  equal  age,  a  common  ob- 
ject, and  a  mutual  dependence  for  companionship,  had  cemented  more 
and  more  closely  a  bond  of  friendship  which  had  its  origin  in  the  dan- 
gers and  fortunes  of  travel." 

Early  in  February  the  twilight  began  to  grow  perceptibly,  day  by 
day;  on  the  loth  it  was  almost  broad  daylight  at  noon,  and  as  late  as 
3  o'clock  one  could  read  ordinary  print;  and  on  the  the  i8th,  they  re- 
joiced to  see  the  sun  from  the  hill-tops,  after  an  absence  of  126  days;  but 
its  light  would  not  directly  strike  the  harbor  for  12  days  yet.  With  the 


GRAVE  OF  SONNTAG.  609 

increasing  light,  hunting  received  a  fresh  impetus;  and  Hans  and  his 
father-in-law  killed  the  first  walrus  early  in  February.  Reindeer, 
wolves,  and  hares  were  killed  in  sufficient  abundance  by  the  men,  and 
throughout  the  whole  winter  there  had  been  no  symptoms  of  scurvy  or 
other  disease.  The  general  health  was  equal  to  the  average  in  more 
favored  climates;  and,  except  the  dreariness  of  the  Arctic  night,  and  the 
monotony  of  existence,  there  was  but  little  to  complain  of. 

In  the  latter  part  of  February,  some  Esquimaux  from  Iteplik,  150 
miles  to  the  south,  arrived  at  Port  Foulke,  and  Hayes,  by  barter  and 
presents,  added  six  dogs  to  his  pack,  and  secured  the  use  of  six  more, 
with  the  services  of  their  owner,  Kalutunah.  There  were  now  at  the 
winter  quarters  of  the  expedition  seventeen  natives — six  men,  four 
women,  and  seven  children.  Early  in  March,  with  the  help  of  Kalutu- 
nah and  Hans,  the  mate,  Dodge,  brought  back  the  remains  .of  Sonntag, 
which  were  interred  on  the  terrace  near  the  observatory  which  he  loved 
so  well.  Over  his  grave  was  raised  a  mound  of  stones,  and  at  its  head  a 
chiseled  slab  bearing  his  name,  age — 28  years, — and  date  of  death — De- 
cember, 1860. 


39 


CHAPTER    LXVII. 

HAYES'  SLEDGE-JOURNEYS  —  HUMBOLDT  GLACIER  SIGHTED  —  THE 
HOPE THE  PERSEVERANCE  A  SNOW-HOUSE  OFF  FOR  GRIN- 
NELL  LAND A  PICTURE SLOW  PROGRESS HIGH  TEMPERATURE 

UNSAFE  ICE HIGH    LATITUDE A  PRUDENT  RETURN THE 

SHIP    INJURED ATTACKED   BY   WALRUSES CAPE    ISABELLA 

WHALE  SOUND THE  RETURN  HOME STARTLING  NEWS DEATH 

OF    HAYES. 

The  first  of  these  sledge-journeys  began  with  the  i6th  of  March, 
and  its  object  was  to  determine  the  best  route  for  his  later  efforts.  He 
set  out  with  two  sledges  drawn  by  nine  and  six  dogs,  and  driven  by  Jen- 
sen and  Kalutunah,  respectively.  After  a  misadventure  five  miles  away, 
in  which  Jensen  and  his  whole  team  were  precipitated  into  a  crevice, 
and  a  return  to  the  ship  for  readjustment,  which  took  only  an  hour,  they 
set  out  for  the  north,  and  encamped  the  first  night  at  Cape  Hatherton, 
with  the  temperature  at  40°  below  zero.  At  Fog  Inlet,  the  next  day, 
they  noticed  Hartstene's  cairn  and  record  of  search,  dated  Aug.  16,  1855, 
and  named  the  headland  thus  marked  Cairn  Point.  Here  also  was  made 
a  deposit  of  surplus  provisions,  consuming  the  remainder  of  the  day. 
They  retained  only  enough  for  six  days'  consumption.  With  lightened 
sledges  the  prospect  for  good  headway  was  promising,  but  they  soon 
encountered  hummocks,  and  after  nine  hours  had  only  made  twenty 
miles,  when  they  went  into  camp  for  the  third  night,  with  the  thermom- 
eter at  3 1  °  b.elow  zero  within  the  snow  hut,  and  68^°  outside.  The 
scene  through  which  they  now  traveled  northward  "was  like  the  Rocky 
Mountains  on  a  small  scale;  peak  after  peak,  ridge  after  ridge,  spur  after 
spur,  separated  by  deep  valleys  into  which  we  descended  over  a  rough 
declivity,  and  then  again  ascended  on  the  other  side,  to  cross  an  elevated 

crest,  and  repeat  the  observation.     The  traveling  was  very  laborious;  it 

610 


HUMBOLDT  GLACIER  SEEN.  611 

was    but    an   endless    clambering    over    ice-masses    of   every    form    and 
size." 

In  five  days  from  Cairn  Point  they  sighted  Humboldt  Glacier,  and 
proceeded  to  return,  Hayes  being  satisfied  that  this  route  was  impractica- 
ble, and  that  he  therefore  had  no  alternative  but  to  try  the  west  shore  of 
the  sound.  They  halted  at  Cairn  Point  for  a  further  scrutiny  of  the 
route  thence  across  the  west;  and  while  there  Jensen  killed  a  reindeer, 
which  was  a  desirable  addition  to  their  supplies  of  dog-meat.  Leaving 
for  Port  Foulke  under  a  high,  piercing  wind,  with  the  thermometer  at 
52°  below  zero,  they  made  the  thirty  miles  to  the  schooner  in  three  and  a 
half  hours.  The  last  days  of  March  were  utilized  in  conveying  stores  to 
Cairn  Point,  and  making  the  necessary  preparations  for  the  work  of  the 
season.  The  temperature  was  still  dangerously  low,  but  having  moder- 
ated somewhat  in  the  first  days  of  April,  the  party  took  final  leave  of  the 
schooner — leaving  Radcliffe  alone  of  the  original  company,  in  charge — 
on  the  evening  of  the  3d  of  April.  The  cavalcade  comprised  the  Hope 
sledge  with  eight  dogs,  and  Jensen  as  driver;  the  Perseverance,  with 
young  Knorr  as  driver;  and  bringing  up  the  rear,  an  unnamed  sledge 
drawn  by  eight  men  of  the  ship's  company,  with  master  and  mate  on 
either  side,  to  direct  and  help,  and  laden  with  the  twenty-foot  metallic 
life-boat  with  which  it  was  hoped  to  navigate  the  "Open  Polar  Sea" — 
when  they  reached  it.  The  commander  descended  from  the  schooner, 
RadclifFe  fired  off  the  cannon,  and  the  company  set  out  on  their  weary 
journey. 

The  inexperienced  men  soon  gave  trouble,  and  two  or  three  would 
have  suffered  themselves  to  be  frozen  to  death  had  they  not  been  urged 
to  exertion  by  the  watchfulness  of  the  commander.  They  staid  eighteen 
hours  at  the  first  encampment  to  restore  these  sufferers,  who  fortunately 
escaped  serious  injury.  On  the  5th  they  encamped  at  Cape  Hatherton, 
with  the  men  in  better  trim  and  more  cheerful  spirits,  under  the  influ- 
ence of  a  rising  temperature  and  increasing  experience.  On  the  6th 
they  reached  Cairn  Point,  and  Hayes  took  the  first  opportunity  after 
going  into  camp  to  reconnoiter  the  sound,  which  he  proposed  to  cross 
from  this  point.  The  view  was  anything  but  encouraging — was  in  fact, 


612  OFF  TO  GRIN  NELL   LAND. 

"the  ugliest  scene  his  eye  had  ever  chanced  to  rest  upon."  He  had 
found  it  bad  in  1854,  and  now  it  appeared  to  be  much  worse;  and  unfor- 
tunately its  appearance  did  not  deceive  him.  It  proved  to  be  even  worse 
than  it  looked. 

They  were  detained  some  days  at  Cairn  Point  imprisoned  by  a  gale, 
"  in  which,"  says  Hayes,  "  my  people  could  no  more  live  than  in  a  fiery 
furnace."  The  den  in  the  snowbank  which  they  occupied — a  type  of 
similar  constructions — is  thus  described :  "  It  is  a  pit  eighteen  feet  long 
by  eight  wide  and  four  deep.  Over  the  top  of  said  pit  are  placed  the 
boat  oars,  to  support  the  sledge,  which  is  laid  across  them,  and  over 
the  sledge  is  thrown  the  boat  sail,  and  over  the  sail  is  thrown  loose 
snow.  Over  the  floor  there  is  spread  a  strip  of  India-rubber  cloth; 
over  this  cloth  a  strip  of  buffalo  skins,  which  are  all  squared  and 
sewed  together;  and  over  this  again  another  just  like  it.  When  we 
want  to  sleep  we  draw  ourselves  underneath  the  upper  one  of 
these  buffalo  strips,  and  accommodate  ourselves  to  the  very  moderate 
allowance  of  space  assigned  to  each  person,  as  best  we  can.  We  go  to 
bed  without  change  of  costume  except  our  boots  and  stockings,  which  we 
tuck  under  our  heads  to  help  out  a  pillow,  while  what  we  call  reindeer 
sleeping-stockings  take  their  place  on  our  feet."  In  this  snow-hut  were 
crowded  Hayes  and  his  twelve  companions.  Some  stores  were  brought 
forward  from  Cape  Hatherton  despite  the  storm,  and  everything  that 
was  to  be  left  at  the  central  depot,  including  the  life-boat,  was  securely 
covered. 

All  things  being  now  in  readiness,  and  the  wind  having  veered  to 
the  south,  they  set  out  again  on  the  loth  of  April,  with  three  sledges  as 
before,  except  that  the  third  was  lightened  of  the  boat — diagonally  across 
Smith's  Sound  for  Grinnell  Land,  away  to  the  northwest.  The  journey 
soon  lay  over  a  surface  as  rugged  as  that  previouslv  traversed  in  the 
experiment  trip  on  the  Greenland  side.  "  The  interstices,"  says  Hayes, 
"  between  these  closely  accumulated  ice  masses  are  filled  up,  to  some 
extent,  with  drifted  snow.  The  reader  will  readily  imagine  the  rest. 
He  will  see  the  sledges  winding  through  the  tangled  wilderness  of 
broken  ice-tables,  the  men  and  dogs  pulling  and  pushing  up  their  respec- 


A  PICTURE.  613 

tive  loads,  as  Napoleon's  soldiers  may  be  supposed  to  have  done  when 
drawing  their  artillery  through  the  steep  and  rugged  passes  of  the  Alps. 
He  will  see  them  clambering  over  the  very  summit  of  lofty  ridges, 
through  which  there  is  no  opening,  and  again  descending  on  the  other 
side,  the  sledge  often  plunging  over  a  precipice,  sometimes  capsizing,  and 
frequently  breaking.  Again  he  will  see  the  party,  baffled  in  their 
attempt  to  cross  or  find  a  pass,  breaking  a  track  with  shovel  and  hand- 
spike, or  again,  unable  even  with  these  appliances  to  accomplish  their 
end,  they  retreat  to  seek  a  better  track;  and  they  may  be  lucky  enough 
to  find  a  sort  of  gap  or  gateway,  upon  the  winding  and  uneven  surface 
of  which  they  will  make  a  mile  or  so  with  comparative  ease.  The  snow- 
drifts are  sometimes  a  help,  and  sometimes  a  hindrance.  At  the  very 
moment  when  all  looks  promising,  down  sinks  one  man  to  his  middle, 
another  to  the  neck,  another  is  buried  out  of  sight,  the  sledge  gives  way, 
and  to  extricate  the  whole  from  this  unhappy  predicament  is  probably 
the  labor  of  hours;  especially  if,  as  often  happens,  the  sledge  'must  be 
unloaded.  Not  infrequently  it  is  necessary  to  carry  the  cargo  in  two  or 
three  loads.  It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  any  kind  of  labor  more  dis- 
heartening, or  which  would  sooner  sap  the  energies  of  both  men  and  ani- 
mals. The  strength  gave  way  gradually,  but  when,  as  often  happened, 
after  a  long  and  hard  day's  work,  we  could  look  back  from  an  eminence 
and  almost  fire  a  rifle-ball  into  our  last  snow-hut,  it  was  truly  discourag- 
ing." Among  the  distinguishable  masses  encountered  was  an  old  ice-field, 
about  six  by  four  miles  in  extent,  and  twenty  feet  high  above  the  water 
level,  with  hummocks  rising  to  a  height  sometimes  of  eighty  feet.  Its 
depth  under  water  was  probably  140  feet,  and  Hayes  estimated  the 
weight  of  its  solid  contents  at  6,000,000,000  tons!  This  they  reached  on 
the  24th  of  April,  with  the  thermometer  at  19°  below  zero;  and  they 
were  only  thirty  miles  from  Cairn  Point,  and  sixty-six  from  Port  Foulke, 
an  average  of  just  three  miles  a  day,  though  they  had  probably  traveled 
about  two  hundred  miles  since  leaving  the  schooner. 

"  My  party,"  says  Hayes,  under  date  of  the  25th,  "are  in  a  very  sorry 
condition.  One  of  the  men  has  sprained  his  back  from  lifting;  another 
has  a  sprained  ankle ;  another  has  gastritis ;  another  a  frosted  toe ;  and  all 


614  REMAINS   OF  AN  ESQUIMAUX  CAMP. 

are  thoroughly  overwhelmed  with  fatigue.  The  men  do  not  stand  it  as 
well  as  the  dogs."  Hayes  began  to  doubt  whether  he  should  ever  reach 
Grinnell  Land  with  the  party.  The  mate  compared  their  undertaking 
to  an  attempt  "to  cross  New  York  over  the  house  tops,"  and  Hayes 
could  not  help  bitterly  exclaiming — "  Smith  Sound  has  given  me  but  one 
succession  of  baffling  obstacles."  On  the  28th,  about  midway  of  the 
sound,  he  sent  back  the  men,  except  Knorr,  Jensen,  and  John  Mc- 
Donald, a  seaman.  With  these  companions,  two  sledges,  fourteen  dogs, 
and  800  pounds  of  provisions,  he  would  still  make  an  effort  to  win  the 
victory.  In  fourteen  days  more,  after  encountering  as  great  difficulties 
as  at  any  stage  of  the  journey,  they  finally  reached  the  west  coast  at 
Cape  Hawks — eighty  miles  in  thirty-one  days;  but  probably  six  times 
eighty  actually  traversed  up  and  down,  right  and  left,  backward  and  for- 
ward, as  described. 

Resting  a  few  hours,  they  pushed  to  the  north,  crossing  to  the  opposite 
headland,  named  for  Napoleon  III.  a  few  years  before ;  and  on  the  way 
suffered  a  serious  drawback  in  the  disabling  of  Jensen.  It  became  neces- 
sary that  he  should  ride  because  of  a  fresh  injury  to  an  already  broken 
leg;  and  this  necessitated  the  transfer  of  some  of  his  sledge  load  to  the 
other  sledge.  Hayes  and  his  two  uninjured  companions  now  buckled  on 
their  harness  to  help  the  team  of  the  overladen  sledge;  and  thus  equipped, 
they  crossed  the  bay  .between  the  points  mentioned.  Passing  Cape 
Napoleon  with  difficulty,  the  next  day  they  arrived  at  the  farthest  point 
reached  by  Hayes  in  1854,  beyond  Cape  Frazer,  on  the  third  day  from 
Cape  Hawks,  and  were  now  within  Kennedy  Channel.  Crossing  Gould 
Bay  to  Cape  Leidy,  they  fell  in  with  traces  of  an  Esquimaux  encamp- 
ment, and  suffered  from  an  unseasonably  high  temperature  of  32°,  which 
occasioned  some  apprehension  of  an  early  breaking  up  of  the  ice.  The 
spring  was  fast  approaching.  The  coast  presented  a  line  of  lofty 
silurian  rocks,  much  broken  by  winter  frosts  and  summer  thaws.  Inland 
could  be  seen  lofty  peaks  clothed  in  an  unbroken  covering  of  snow,  but 
no  glaciers.  Here  again  were  encountered  remains  of  an  Esquimaux 
camp,  and  on  this  fourth  day  from  Cape  Hawks,  May  15,  while  helping 
his  team  at  a  particularly  difficult  point,  Jensen  again  hurt  his  leg  and 


UNSAFE  ICE.  615 

strained  his  back,  more  completely  disabling  him.  The  next  day,  leaving 
McDonald  behind  with  Jensen,  Hayes  and  Knorr  pushed  forward  to 
reach  the  highest  latitude  attainable.  They  were  already  sixty  miles  be- 
yond Cape  Constitution,  Morton's  limit  in  1854.  The  first  day  they 
made  about  ten  miles  in  nine  hours,  amid  scenes  of  boundless  sterility 
and  dreary  desolation.  "As  the  eye  wandered,"  says  Hayes,  "from 
peak  to  peak  of  the  mountains  as  they  rose  one  above  the  other,  and 
rested  upon  the  dark  and  frost-degraded  cliffs,  and  followed  along  the 
ice-foot,  and  overlooked  the  sea,  and  saw  in  every  object  the  silent  forces 
of  Nature  moving  on  through  the  gloom  of  winter  and  the  sparkle  of 
summer,  now,  as  they  had  moved  for  countless  ages,  unobserved  save  by 
the  eye  of  God  alone,  I  felt  how  puny  indeed  are  all  men's  works  and 
efforts;  and  when  I  sought  for  some  token  of  living  thing,  some  track  of 
wild  beast — a  fox,  or  bear,  or  reindeer — which  had  elsewhere  always 
crossed  me  on  my  journeyings,  and  saw  nothing  but  two  feeble  men  and 
our  struggling  dogs,  it  seemed  indeed  as  if  the  Almighty  had  frowned 
upon  the  hills  and  seas." 

After  a  ten  hours'  march  on  the  ryth  and  four  on  the  i8th,  with  a  head- 
land in  sight  about  twenty  miles  ahead,  their  progress  was  suddenly  ar- 
rested. "  The.  unerring  instinct  of  the  dogs,"  says  Hayes,  "warned  us  of 
approaching  danger,  and  I  quickly  perceived  that  the  ice  was  rotten  and 
unsafe.  Walking  now  in  advance  of  the  dogs,  they  were  inspired  with 
greater  courage.  I  had  not  proceeded  far  when  I  found  the  ice  giving 
way  'under  the  staff  with  which  I  sounded  its  strength,  and  again  we 
turned  back  and  sought  a  still  more  eastern  passage."  Testing  first  one 
side,  four  miles  out  to  sea,  and  then  the  other,  and  judging  the  head  of 
the  bay  to  be  perhaps  twenty  miles  away,  eight  hours  were  consumed  in 
the  vain  effort  to  find  a  safe  passage  across. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I9th,  "  after  a  most  profound  and  refreshing 
sjeep,"  Hayes  ascended  a  cliff  about  800  feet  high,  to  survey  the  situa- 
tion. "  The  ice,"  he  says,  "  was  everywhere  in  the  same  condition  as  in 
the  mouth  of  the  bay  across  which  I  had  endeavored  to  pass.  A  broad 
crack,  starting  from  the  middle  of  the  bay,  stretched  over  the  sea,  and 
uniting  with  other  cracks  as  it  meandered  to  the  eastward,  it  expanded 


616  HIGHEST  LATITUDE  OF  HATES. 

as  the  delta  of  some  mighty  river  discharging  into  the  ocean,  and  under 
a  water-sky,  which  hung  upon  the  northern  and  eastern  horizon,  it  Was 
lost  in  the  open  sea.  Standing  against  the  dark  sky  at  the  north,  there 
was  seen  in  dim  outline  the  white  sloping  summit  of  a  noble  headland — 
the  most  northern  known  land  upon  the  globe.  I  judged  it  to  be  in  lati- 
tude 82°  30',  or  450  miles  from  the  North  Pole.  Nearer,  another  bold 
cape  stood  forth;  and  nearer  still  the  headland  for  which  I  had  been 
steering  my  course  the  day  before,  rose  majestically  from  the  sea,  as  if 
pushing  up  into  the  very  skies  a  lofty  mountain  peak,  upon  which  the 
winter  had  dropped  its  diadem  of  snows.  There  was  no  land  visible 
except  the  coast  upon  which  I  stood.  The  sea  beneath  me  was  a  mottled 
sheet  of  white  and  dark  patches,  these  latter  being  either  soft,  decaying 
ice,  or  places  where  the  ice  had  wholly  disappeared.  To  proceed  farther 
north  was  of  course  impossible."  The  point  actually  reached,  he  named 
Cape  Lieber,  and  the  peak  behind  it  Church's  Monument;  the  sound, 
Lady  Franklin,  the  headland  beyond,  Cape  Eugenie;  the  lofty  peak  be- 
hind Cape  Eugenie  he  named  Parry  Mountain — now  more  usually  Mount 
Parry — in  honor  of  the  great  Arctic  navigator  of  that  name.  The  mid- 
dle headland  seen  became  Cape  Frederick  VII,  in  honor  of  the  king  of 
Denmark;  and  "the  most  northern-known  land  upon  the  globe"  re- 
ceived the  patriotic  designation  of  Cape  Union,  in  honor  of  a  fundamen- 
tal principle  in  the  constitution  of  his  country,  then  actually  in  jeopardy, 
beyond  the  knowledge  of  the  explorer  and  his  companions,  in  the  first 
throes  of  the  great  Civil  War.  The  bay  between  these  last-mentioned 
capes  was  dedicated  to  the  name  of  Wrangell;  and  the  one  between 
Frederick  and  Eugenie,  to  the  geographer  Petermann;  while  two  lower 
down  toward  Cape  Hawks,  were  named  in  honor  of  Carl  Ritter  and 
William  Scoresby. 

Hayes  now  planted  the  flag  of  the  United  States,  and  several  small 
flags  of  different  patrons  of  the  enterprise,  erected  the  usual  cairn,  and 
deposited  the  following  record :  "  This  point,  the  most  northern  land 
that  has  ever  been  reached,  was  visited  by  the  undersigned,  May  18, 
19,  1 86 1,  accompanied  by  George  F.  Knorr,  traveling  with  a  dog- 
sledge.  We  arrived  here,  after  a  toilsome  march  of  forty-six  days  from 


CAPE  HATHERTON.  617 

my  winter  harbor,  near  Cape  Alexander,  at  the  mouth  of  Smith  Sound. 
My  observations  place  us  in  latitude  81°  35',  longitude  70°  30',  west. 
Our  further  progress  was  stopped  by  rotten  ice  and  cracks.  Kennedy 
Channel  appears  to  expand  into  the  polar  basin;  and,  satisfied  that  it  is 
navigable,  at  least  during  the  months  of  July,  August  and  September,  I 
go  hence  to  my  winter  harbor,  to  make  another  trial  to  get  through 
Smith  Sound  with  my  vessel,  after  the  ice  breaks  up  this  summer." 
"  Then  our  faces  were  turned  homeward,"  adds  he,  "  but  I  quit  the  place 
with  reluctance;"  and  the  reader  will  sympathize  with  the  feeling.  The 
bravest  thing  to  do  is  to  turn  back,  with  ambition  and  daring  beckoning 
on  to  further  achievement.  The  courage  of  prudent  self-denial  is 
greater  than  that  of  daring  adventure.  This  a  fool  may  possess,  that 
belongs  only  to  the  wise.  With  a  disabled  companion  in  the  rear,  and 
a  dangerous  return  journey,  from  a  hundred  miles  beyond  Morton's 
limit  of  1854,  and  menaced  by  the  risks  of  the  ice  breaking  up,  or  pro- 
visions being  exhausted  before  he  could  reach  the  schooner,  prudence 
required  that  he  should  return,  and  he  wisely  obeyed  its  commands. 

With  the  utmost  difficulty  they  reached  Jensen's  camp,  sixty  miles 
away,  having  made  an  unbroken  trip  for  the  last  fifty  miles  in  twenty- 
two  hours,  under  a  terrific  snowstorm  that  nearly  proved  fatal  to 
men  and  dogs.  After  a  welcome  rest  they  pushed  on  to  Cape  Hawks, 
which  they  made  in  three  days,  and  pushed  across  for  Cairn  Point.  On 
the  very  eve  of  landing  they  were  detached  on  a  floe,  which,  however, 
was  soon  floated  landward,  fortunately  touching  the  land-ice,  when  they 
hastened  ashore.  Farther  on,  at  Cape  Hatherton,  they  were  compelled 
to  abandon  the  sledges,  the  ice  having  become  too  broken,  and  finish  the 
return  journey  by  land.  It  had  taken  fifteen  days  since  leaving  the 
limit,  and  sixty-one  from  the  schooner,  when  they  arrived  safely  aboard 
on  the  3d  of  June,  "  having  traveled  not  less  than  1,300  miles,  and  not  less 
than  i, 600  since  first  setting  out  in  March."  Hayes  was  firm  in  the  con- 
viction that  if  he  could  reach  by  vessel,  the  limit  already  attained  over 
the  ice,  the  voyage  to  the  Pole  could  be  made  the  ensuing  season. 

On  careful  examination,  it  had  been  clearly  ascertained  by  the  master 
id  mate  of  the  schooner,  before  the  return  of  the  commander  that,  as  an- 


618  FINE    WEATHER. 

ticipated,  she  had  been  seriously  injured  in  her  conflicts  with  the  ice-pack, 
before  going  into  winter  quarters.  Hayes'  personal  scrutiny  confirmed 
the  statement  of  his  officers;  and,  as  he  says,  "  It  now  became  a  matter 
for  serious  reflection  whether  it  were  not  wiser  to  return  home,  refit,  add 
— what  was  of  much  consequence — steam  power  to  my  resources,  and 
come  back  again  immediately."  Meanwhile,  the  United  States  was  still 
held  ice-locked,  and  -the  commanders  occupied  themselves  with  various 
avocations.  "The  sun,  reaching  its  greatest  northern  declination  on  the 
2 1  st  of  June,  we  were  now,"  says.  Hayes, "  in  the  full  blaze  of  summer.  Six 
eventful  months  had  passed  over  since  the  Arctic  midnight  shrouded  us 
in  gloom,  and  now  we  had  reached  the  Arctic  midday.  And  this  mid- 
day was  a  day  of  wonderful  brightness.  The  temperature  had  gone  up 
higher  than  at  any  previous  time,  marking  at  medium  49°,  while  in  the 
sun  the  thermometer  showed  57°.  The  barometer  was  away  up  to 
30.076,  and  a  more  calm  and  lovely  air  never  softened  an  Arctic  land- 
scape,"— bringing  to  mind  the  Scriptural  saying :  "  The  winter  is  past 
and  gone;  the  flowers  appear  on  the  earth;  the  time  of  the  singing  of 
birds  is  come."  The  auk,  at  least,  had  come  in  great  abundance;  and 
Hayes  witnessed  the  catching  of  a  hundred  in  a  net,  by  Kalutunah,  in  a 
little  while. 

On  the  3d  of  July  their  occupations  were  varied  by  a  walrus  hunt, 
in  which  two  animals  were  secured,  ten  others  killed  and  sunk,  and 
many  wounded.  The  herd  attacked  the  boat  of  the  hunters,  and  the 
useless  slaughter  of  so  many  animals  was  the  result.  The  "Glorious 
Fourth"  was  duly  celebrated,  though  the  weather  was  unfavorable — a 
mixture  of  hail,  snow,  and  rain,  and  the  thermometer  at  32°.  A  few 
days  later,  a  memorial  cairn  was  erected  on  the  north  coast  of  Port 
Foulke,  and  a  record  of  the  expedition  deposited. 

On  the  1 2th  the  schooner  was  free  after  a  little  more  than  ten  months 
at  Port  Foulke,  during  nine  of  which  they  were  completely  frozen  in. 
The  thickness  of  the  ice  was  nine  feet,  and  seven  of  these  were  formed 
before  the  middle  of  February,  when  the  boat  became  lodged  in  an  ice- 
cradle.  The  severe  temperature  of  March  only  added  two  inches  to  the 
depth  of  ice,  the  coat  already  formed  serving,  as  is  well  known,  to  pro- 


CAPE  ISABELLA. 


619 


tect  water  as  well  as  land  from  being  frozen  to  an  incalculable  depth. 
"I  have  never  seen  an  ice-table,"  says  Hayes,  "formed  by  direct  freezing, 
that  exceeded  eighteen  feet."  On  the  13th  they  took  leave  of  the  Es- 
quimaux; and  on  the  I4th  set  sa.il  for  Cape  Isabella;  but  the  ice-pack 
baffled  him  in  1861  as  it  had  in  1860;  and  after  several  days'  effort  and 
detention,  they  were  only  able  to  reach  Gale  Point,  ten  miles  below,  but 
the  cape  itself  could  not  be  passed,  "a  line  of  solid  ice  extending  in  a  some 
what  irregular  curve  up  the  sound  to  a  few  miles  above  Cairn  Point.  As 


POINT    ISABELLA. 


well  use  a  Hudson  River  steamboat  for  a  battering-ram  as  this  schooner, 
with  her  weakened  bows,  to  encounter  the  Smith  Sound  ice."  But 
Hayes  would  not  be  baffled  of  reaching  Cape  Isabella,  and  so  set  out  in 
the  whale-boat  from  Gale  Point,  to  find  it,  as  he  says,  "a  ragged  mass  01 
Plutonic  rock,  looking  as  if  it  had  been  turned  out  of  Nature's  labora- 
tory unfinished,  and  pushed  up  from  the  sea  while  it  was  yet  hot,  to 
crack  and  crumble  to  pieces  in  the  cold  air.  Its  surface  is  barren  to  the 
last  degree;  immense  chasms  or  canyons  cross  it  in  all  directions,  in  which 


620 


STARTLING  NEWS.  621 

there  was  not  the  remotest  trace  of  vegetation — great  yawning  depths 
with  jagged  beds  and  crumbling  sides — sunless  as  the  Cimmerian  cav- 
erns of  Averno."  At  Gale  Point  were  observed  traces  of  a  recent 
Esquimaux  encampment,  giving  the  impression  that  the  coast  had  still 
some  remnants  of  native  tribes. 

Some  days  later  they  anchored  in  Barden  Bay  off  the  native  settle- 
ment of  Netlik,  on  Whale  Sound.  Here  Hayes  made  an  extensive  sur- 
vey, naming  islands,  capes,  and  bays,  and  the  Tyndall  Glacier.  At 
Iteplik,  farther  on,  whence  the  Esquimaux  had  gone  to  him  at  Port 
Foulke,  he  found  nine  families,  numbering  thirty  persons,  remaining. 
They  next  set  sail  through  Melville  Bay  to  the  east,  and  on  the  i2th  of 
August  reached  Horse's  Head,  and  three  days  later  the  harbor  of  Uper- 
navik.  Here  they  were  startled  by  "the  news  from  home."  "Ah,"  said 
the  first  arrival  aboard,  "de  Sout'  States  dey  go  agin  de  Nort'  States,  and 
dere's  plenty  fight."  Their  first  mail  received  here,  brought  the  history 
of  events  down  to  near  the  end  of  March,  1861,  but  the  intervening  five 
months,  with  their  rapid  succession  of  startling  events,  were  still  a  blank. 
And  so  Hayes  spent  some  days  in  exploring  "a  magnificent  glacier  nine 
miles  wide,  which  discharges  into  a  fiord  named  Aukpadlatok,  about 
forty  miles  from  town."  Four  days  after  leaving  Upernavik,  they  anch- 
ored at  Goodhaven  on  Disco  Island;  and  in  a  few  days  left  that  safe 
harbor  for  Davis'  Strait.  Through  this  they  were  driven  by  "a  regular 
equinoctial  storm.  Every  stitch  of  canvas  was  ripped  up  but  the  little 
rag  of  a  topsail,  under  which  we  scudded  before  the  gale  through  four 
days,  running  down  in  one  four-and-twenty  hours  two  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  of  latitude."  Off  Labrador  the  wind  changed  to  the  west, 
and  the  vessel  was  hove  to,  when  .they  "were  caught  amidships  by  the- 
ugliest  wave  they  had  ever  seen.  The  schooner  shivered  all  over  as  if 
every  rib  in  her  little  body  was  broken."  Thus  she  lay  for  three  days, 
drifting-  two  hundred  miles  out  of  her  course.  When  the  storm  abated 

O 

they  made  for  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  where  they  received  the  kindest  at- 
tention from  citizens  and  officials.  Here  they  got  a  second  installment  of 
"the  news  from  home,"  sufficient  to  take  away  the  breath,  and  they  be- 
came impatient  to  reach  their  friends.  In  four  days  from  Halifax  they 


623 


DEATH  OF  HATES. 


reached  Boston,  Oct.  21, 1861,  having  been  absent  fifteen  months  and  four- 
teen days.  Hayes  at  once  tendered  his  services  and  his  schooner  to  the 
government;  and  he  entered  the  United  States'  service  as  an  army  surgeon, 
taking  charge  of  the  hospital  at  West  Philadelphia,  which  he  built.  He 
made  another  voyage  to  Greenland  in  1869,  chiefly  in  the  interest  of  Brad- 
ford's photographic  enterprise,  but  not  without  adding  something  to  his 
previous  explorations  and  surveys.  He  afterward  spent  five  years  in 
political  life  as  member  of  the  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania;  and  also  won 
distinction  as  a  lecturer  on  his  favorite  topics — the  Open  Polar  Sea  and 
Arctic  Exploration.  He  died  Dec.  17,  1881,  in  his  fiftieth  year. 


CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

GERMAN  EXPEDITION  UNDER  KOLDEWEY THE  PLAN  OF  DR.  PETER- 
MANN ELLOGY  ON  KOLDEWEY DEPARTURE  FROM  BREMER- 

HAVEN SEPARATION  FROM  THE  HANSA A  SERIES  OF  DANGERS 

—  WRECK  OF  THE  HANSA THE  COAL  HOUSE THE  DRIFT  ON 

THE  ICE AN  ALARM DANGER  FROM  STARVATION ARRIVE  AT 

FREDERICHSTAHL AT  HOME. 

Among  the  nations  that  in  recent  times  have  taken  part  in  the  efforts 
to  reach  the  Pole  and  solve  its  mysteries,  the  German  Empire  has  been 
prominently  persistent.  It  is  true,  the  expeditions  organized  and  sent  out 
under  its  auspices  have  not  been  so  numerous  and  pretentious  as  those 
planned  and  executed  from  time  to  time  by  Great  Britain  and  America, 
but  they  have  evinced  a  thoroughness  of  preparation  and  a  skillfulness 
of  conduct,  second  to  none ;  and  their  failures  have  been  in  places  and  un- 
der circumstances  where  failure  was  neither  a  disgrace  nor  a  sign  of 
weakness  or  inefficiency. 

The  so-called  "First  German  Arctic  Expedition,"  under  Karl  Kol- 
dewey  and  its  renowned  originator,  Dr.  Petermann,  had  been  welcomed 
back,  though  without  results  of  great  importance;  and  it  was  on  the  occa- 
sion of  its  formal  reception  that  the  idea  of  a  second  voyage  for  a  like 
purpose  was  first  conceived.  Preliminary  conferences  took  place  between 
Capt.  Koldewey,  Dr.  Petermann,  Dr.  Breusing  and  others,  the  result  of 
which  was  that  the  dispatch  of  a  new  expedition  became  only  a  question 
of  ways  and  means.  The  rough  sketch  of  a  plan  was  not  long  wanting 
This  plan  provided  that  the  expedition  should  consist  of  two  parts:  That 
a  steamer  should  land  on  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  from  whence  it 
should  push  forward  into  the  center  of  the  Arctic  regions;  and  that  an- 
other should  from  any  point  between  Greenland  and  Spitzbergen  seek  to 

attain  the  highest  latitude  possible.     This  plan,  however,  proved  too  ex- 

623 


634  PLAN  AND  CREW. 

tended  for  the  limited  means  of  those  specially  interested.  By  common 
consent  the  latter  portion  of  the  proposed  scheme  was  abandoned,  and  the 
attention  directed  to  East  Greenland. 

A  communication  dated  the  8th  of  March,  1869, brought  the  proceed- 
ings to  the  knowledge  of  the  friends  of  the  expedition.  The  plan  was  now 
nearly  as  •follows:  "  That  the  expedition  should  consist  of  a  newly -built 
screw-steamer,  and  of  the  sailing  yacht  Greenland,  a  ship  of  the  pio- 
neer journey  of  a  year  previous;  that  the  end  and  aim  of  the  same  should 
be  discovery  and  exploration  in  the  Central  Arctic  region,  from  74°  north 
latitude  upward,  the  East  Greenland  coast  being  the  basis.  The  Green- 
land, acting  as  consort  and  transport  ship,  should  return  in  the  autumn 
of  the  same  year;  but  the  return  of  the  chief  ship  should  not  take  place 
until  late  in  the  autumn  of  1870,  after  their  intended  wintering.  That 
the  aim  of  the  expedition  should  be  scientific  as  well  as  nautical;  the 
latter  department  being  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Koldewey,  who 
the  year  before  had  proved  himself  so  able  in  every  respect,  and  whose 
character  for  courage,  perseverance,  and  self-sacrifice  in  the  cause,  called 
for  unhesitating  confidence." 

Great  diligence  was  used  in  making  collections  for  defraying  the  ex- 
penses of  the  enterprise,  and  most  of  the  towns  of  Germany  responded 
liberally  to  the  call  for  funds.  The  new  steamer  was  called  the  Germa- 
nia,  and  was  a  model  in  size  and  strength  for  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  to  be  used.  Objection  being  made  to  the  Greenland  as  being  too 
small,  a  larger  ship,  the  Hansa,  was  chosen,  and  like  the  Germania, 
provisioned  for  two  years. 

The  scientific  members  of  the  expedition  to  ship  in  the  Germania 
were  the  following:  Dr.  Karl  Borgen;  Dr.  R.  Copeland,  an  English- 
man, educated  in  Germany,  and  an  associate  of  Dr.  Borgen  in  scientific 
investigation;  Lieut.  Julius  Payer,  whom  we  shall  hereafter  knovf  as  the 
commander  of  a  separate  expedition,  and  Dr.  Pansch,  surgeon  to  the 
ship's  company;  Dr.  Buchholz,  surgeon  to  the  Hansa,  represented  the 
department  of  zoology,  anthropologyand  ethnology,  and  he  was  joined 
by  Dr.  Gustavus  Laube,  of  Vienna. 

The  plan  of  the  construction  of  other  Arctic  ships  has  been  given 


626  IN  THE  LATITUDE   OF  ICEBERGS. 

in  detail  in  the  narration  of  previous  voyages,  and  the  particulars  of 
the  preparations  are  so  alike  in  all  expeditions,  that  to  give  them  here 
would  involve  a  needless  and  tedious  repetition.  It  is  sufficient  to  say 
that  no  mechanical  skill  was  spared  in  the  building  of  the  Germania, 
and  in  the  provisioning  of  both  the  ships,  attention  was  particularly 
paid  to  completeness  and  plentiful  supply,  as  well  as  to  the  good  qual- 
ity of  every  article. 

The  final  departure  of  the  expedition  took  place  from  Bremer; 
haven,  on  the  I5th  of  June,  1869,  in  the  presence  of  His  Majesty,  the 
King  of  Prussia,  whose  warm  interest  in  this  great  national  undertak- 
ing showed  itself  in  a  manner  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  two  ves- 
sels sailed  up  through  the  German  Ocean  together,  and  did  not  sep- 
arate until  Jan  May  en  Island  had  been  reached  and  passed,  and  the 
Arctic  Ocean  actually  entered.  On  the  I5th  of  July  the  Germania  en- 
tered the  "  ice  circle"  of  Greenland,  and  began  to  look  for  the  barriers 
which  she  had  come  hither  to  defy.  At  length  a  practiced. ear  might 
have  heard  a  subdued  roar,  growing  louder  by  degrees  as  the  ship's 
longitude  became  more  and  more  westerly. 

"  Nearer  and  nearer,"  says  Koldewey's  account,  "  comes  the  rushing 
noise.  Every  man  is  on  deck;  when,  as  with  the  touch  of  a  magic  wand, 
the  mist  divides,  and  a  few  hundred  yards  before  us  lies  the  ice,  in  long 
lines,  like  a  deep  indented  rocky  coast,  with  walls  glittering  blue  in  the 
sun,  and  the  foaming  waves  mounting  high,  with  the  top  covered  with 
blinding  white  snow.  The  eyes  of  all  rested  with  amazement  on  this 
grand  panorama;  it  was  a  glorious  but  serious  moment,  stirred  as  we 
were  by  new  thoughts  and  feelings,  by  hopes  and  doubts,  by  bold  and 
far-reaching  expectations." 

The  separation  from  the  Hansa,  which  had  been  a  source  of  anxiety 
for  several  days,  terminated  on  the  i8th,  when  the  meeting  of  the  ves- 
sels was  celebrated  by  a  joyful  firing  of  guns,  and  ringing  of  the  ships' 
bells.  It  was  found  that  the  Hansa  as  well  as  the  Germania  had  been 
several  days  in  the  ice.  Indeed,  a  glance  at  the  log-books  of  the  former 
vessel  showed  that  since  their  separation  the  two  ships  had  never  been 
far  apart,  that  they  had  taken  the  same  course  to  the  ice,  and  that  noth- 


THE  HANS  A  BESET.  627 

ing  but  the  thick  mist  which  had  prevailed  had  prevented  one  from  see- 
ing the  other.  In  case  of  another  separation  Sabine  Island  was  appointed 
as  a  place  of  rendezvous.  After  some  further  consultation  on  the  part  of 
the  officers  as  to  their  future  course,  the  two  vessels  began  working  their 
way  together  to  the  westward.  Through  a  misunderstanding  of  signals, 
the  two  ships  became  once  more  separated,  and  never  met  again.  Let  us 
leave  for  a  time  the  Germania,  sailing  under  the  orders  of  Capt.  Kol- 
dewey,  and  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  ill-fated  Hansa. 

Meeting  with  impassable  ice  to  the  west,  the  Hansa  steered  to  east- 
ward out  of  the  ice,  and  began  afresh.  Having  reached  open  water  a 
second  attempt  was  made  at  penetrating  to  the  coast  in  the  latitude  cor- 
responding with  the  instructions.  Until  the  loth  of  August  the  Hansa 
experienced  good  weather,  and  with  a  favorable  wind  sailed  along  the 
edge  of  the  ice  in  a  northerly  direction,  until  reaching  the  desired  lati- 
tude, it  was  once  more  thought  best  to  attempt  the  desired  coast.  But 
disappointment  again  met  the  crew.  After  sailing  westward  one  night, 
they  found  themselves  on  the  morning  of  the  I4th  hemmed  in  again  on 
all  sides ;  fresh  ice  formed  between  the  floes,  besides  filling  up  every  pass- 
age, so  that  the  Hansa  \vas  fast  again;  and  from  this  time  forward  until 
the  complete  blocking  up  of  his  vessel,  the  captain's  log-book  unfolds  a 
series  of  troubles,  dangers,  and  reverses. 

For  a  long  time  it  was  hoped  that  the  floes  would  part  and  allow  the 
unfortunate  craft  to  make  toward  the  coast.  Land  could  be  seen  at  a 
distance  of  not  more  than  thirty-five  miles,  and  a  boat  journey  over  the 
ice  and  through  such  channels  as  occasionally  presented  themselves, 
seemed  to  confirm  for  a  time  that  slender  expectation.  In  the  meantime, 
measures  were  taken  to  abandon  the  ship  if  it  should  become  necessary. 
The  sailors'  winter  clothing  was  distributed;  the  boats  were  made  ready, 
and  their  respective  crews  told  off;  and  the  plan  of  their  winter  house 
was  discussed  in  view  of  the  possibility  of  being  obliged  to  resort  to  one. 

Their  worst  fears  were  soon  realized.  On  the  I9th  of  October  the 
pressure  of  the  ice  upon  the  Hansa  began  to  be  tremendous.  Huge  ice- 
blocks  forced  themselves  under  her  bow,  and  though  these  were  crushed 
by  the  iron  sheeting,  they  raised  the  forward  part  of  the  ship  seventeen 


628  THE  HANSA  ABANDONED. 

feet  out  of  water,  or  rather  out  of  its  former  position  in  the  ice.  The 
conviction  soon  seized  the  minds  of  the  crew  that  the  Hansa  must  break 
up,  and  the  clothing,  nautical  instruments,  journals,  and  cards,  were  in  all 
haste  taken  over  the  landing-bridge. 

The  ship  soon  began  to  leak,  and  it  was  plain  that  it  must  be  aban- 
doned. All  the  provisions  that  could  be  secured  from  the  wreck,  together 
with  fuel,  medicine,  cigars,  and  whatever  could  be  easily  moved  in  their 
present  importunity,  was  dragged  over  the  ice  to  a  safe  distance  from  the 
sinking  vessel.  A  house  had  already  been  constructed  from  pieces  of 
coal,  and  to  this,  their  only  resort,  they  were  obliged  to  repair. 

In  the  meantime  the  floe  on  which  their  residence  was  built  was  drift- 
ing steadily  to  the  south.  The  routine  in  the  black  house  soon  became  es- 
tablished, and  as  it  closely  resembled  that  on  board  ship,  the  lonely  sailors 
readily  adapted  themselves  to  it.  Care  was  taken  to  make  the  little 
settlement  as  conspicuous  as  possible  in  order  that  it  might  be  seen  by  any 
Esquimaux  who  should  happen  on  the  coast.  The  food  was  lengthened 
out  by  the  shooting  of  an  occasional  walrus,  and  free  use  of  this  article 
of  diet  was  effectual  in  preventing  scurvy,  from  which  the  party  continued 
remarkably  exempt. 

The  first  days  of  January  were  destined  to  bring  sad  changes  for  the 
exiles  on  the  ice.  "  On  the  nth,"  says  the  narrator,  "there  were  heavy 
storms  from  the  northeast,  with  driving  snow.  At  six  in  the  morning 
Hildebrandt,  who  happened  to  have  the  watch,  burst  in  with  the  alarm, 
*  All  hands  turn  out !'  An  indescribable  tumult  was  heard  outside.  With 
furs  and  knapsacks  all  rushed  out.  But  the  outer  entrance  was  snowed 
up,  so  to  gain  the  outside  quickly  we  broke  through  the  snow  roof  of  the 
front  hall.  The  tumult  of  the  elements  which  met  us  there  was  beyond 
anything  we  had  already  experienced.  Scarcely  able  to  leave  the  spot, 
we  stood  huddled  together  for  protection  from  the  bad  weather.  Sud- 
denly we  heard, '  Water  on  the  floe  close  by !'  The  floe  surrounding  us 
split  up;  a  heavy  sea  arose.  Our  field  began  again  to  break  up  on  all  sides. 
On  the  spot  between  our  house  and  the  piled  up  store  of  wood,  which 
was  about  twenty-five  paces  distant,  there  suddenly  opened  a  large  gap. 
Washed  by  the  powerful  waves,  it  seemed  as  if  the  piece  just  broken  off 


ILLUIDLEK.  029 

was  about  to  fall  upon  us.  *  *  *  The  community  was  divided  into 
two  parts.  We  bade  each  other  good-bye  with  a  farewell  shake  of  the 
hand,  for  the  next  moment  we  might  go  down.  Deep  despondency  had 
taken  hold  of  our  scientific  friends;  the  crew  were  quiet,  but  desperate.  It 
was  a  miracle  that  just  that  part  of  the  floe  on  which  we  stood  should 
from  its  soundness,  hold  together." 

As  it  was,  the  house  was  shattered  in  fragrrfents,  and  a  temporary 
bivouac  in  the  boats  had  to  be  experienced.  A  new  house  had  to  be  con-< 
structed  for  temporary  use;  the  boats  were  drawn  nearer  the  middle  of 
the  floe,  and  all  exigencies,  so  far  as  possible,  provided  for.  So  for  several 
months  the  drift  to  the  south  continued ;  the  only  hope  of  release  being 
in  the  boats,  when  the  influence  of  the  now  rising  sun  and  the  southern 
latitude  should  open  a  channel  in  the  rugged  pack. 

The  month  of  May  at  last  arrived,  but  to  the  weary  watchers  on  the 
ice  release  seemed  as  far  off  as  ever.  From  the  spot  where  the  Hansa 
had  foundered,  in  71°  north  latitude,  they  had  moved  to  6 1  ° — a  distance 
of  nearly  700  miles.  They  were  startled  to  find  that  only  six  weeks  of 
provisions  remained,  and  that  unless  efforts  were  put  forth  to  reach  some 
inhabited  spot  they  must  expect  one  by  one  to  drop  away  from 
starvation. 

A  smalt  island  called  Illuidlek,  lay  about  three  miles  away,  and  to 
this  it  was  determined  to  remove,  unless  there  should  be  some  immediate 
and  unlocked  for  change  in  the  ice.  To  this  point,  with  much  labor  and 
many  stoppages,  they  succeeded  in  dragging  the  boats  and  scanty  stores. 
Here  they  spent  some  days  looking  in  vain  for  traces  of  life,  and  the 
habitations  of  the  Esquimaux  whom  the  old  voyager,  Graah,  had  found 
here.  Existence  could  not  be  sustained  here  for  any  protracted  period. 
Even  the  animals,  both  on  land  and  sea,  seemed  shy,  and  unwilling  to 
minister  to  their  necessities.  Moreover,  there  was  now  open  water  suf- 
ficient to  warrant  embarking  in  the  boats,  and  at  any  rate  death  upon  the 
sea  was  no  more  terrible  than  slow  starvation  upon  a  rocky,  barren  islet. 
Accordingly,  on  the  6th  of  June  the  boats  were  launched,  sails  were  ex- 
temporized, and  the  party  were  once  more  in  motion,  glad  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  at  least  making  an  effort  to  save  their  lives. 


630  AT  FREDERICHSTAHL. 

Their  aim  was  Frederichstahl,  the  nearest  colony  on  the  southwest 
coast  of  Greenland,  but  they  hoped  soon  to  meet  one  or  the  other  of  the 
Esquimaux  seal-boats  searching  the  Fiord.  No  such  fortune,  however, 
awaited  them,  though  the  increasing  warmth  and  signs  of  vegetation 
along  the  coast  as  they  sailed  by,  gave  promise  of  comfort  and  plenty  in 
the  near  future. 

Rounding  Cape  Farewell  they  came  in  sight  of  the  long  wished-for 
Bay  of  Frederichstahl  on  the  1 3th  of  June.  The  little  settlement  situ- 
ated on  this  bay  was  the  seat  of  the  most  southerly  of  the  Moravian 
missions  of  Greenland.  In  this  far-away  place,  self-sacrificing  men  from 
the  Fatherland  had  settled  for  a  life  of  isolation  and  toil  among  the  igno- 
rant and  almost  savage  natives  of  this  frozen  continent.  How  the  sight 
of  their  homely  red  houses  cheered  our  band  of  weary  voyagers,  and 
how  sweet  to  them  sounded  their  own  mother-tongue,  spoken  by  warm- 
hearted countrymen! 

From  this  point  the  troubles  of  our  voyagers  ceased.  They  were 
soon  able  to  procure  passage  in  a  Danish  vessel  to  Copenhagen.  From 
this  city  they  sped  homeward  by  rail,  and  once  more  trod  German  soil 
on  the  3d  of  September. 


CHAPTER  LXIX. 

THE    GERMANIA    IN    EAST    GREENLAND THE     BIENENKORB CLAVER- 

ING    ISLAND SHANNON     ISLAND A    QUESTION A    SLEDGE-JOUR- 
NEY  FLIGELY    FIORD KUHN     ISLAND THE    GERMANIA    MOORED 

FOR    WINTER RELICS    OF    A    DECAYED    COMMUNITY ATTACKED 

BY    A    BEAR WIDE    EXPERIENCE    WITH    ANIMAL    LIFE AN    EN- 
COUNTER   WITH    WALRUSES THE    GERMANIA     BECOMES    FREE — 

RETURN    TO    GERMANIA. 

Let  us  now  retrace  our  steps  to  the  northward,  where  we  left  the 
Germania  struggling  with  the  ice  of  East  Greenland,  and  compare  her 
experience  with  that  of  her  unhappy  consort. 

To  be  separated  for  a  short  time  from  the  sister  ship  under  existing 
circumstances,  caused  no  uneasiness ;  so  that  at  noon  of  the  day  that  the 
Hansa  disappeared  in  the  fog,  the  Germania  set  all  sail,  but  soon  striking 
upon  ice,  was  obliged  to  turn.  The  horizon  was  eagerly  scanned  for  the 
Hansa,  but  without  success.  A  whaling  vessel,  however,  was  discovered, 
and  this  last  opportunity  of  sending  letters  home  was  eagerly  embraced. 
The  ship  was  found  to  be  the  Bienenkorb  of  Bremerhaven. 

"On  her  deck,"  says  the  narrative,  "confined  in  a  large  cage,  was  a 
bear  and  her  two  cubs;  fortunately  for  them,  on  board  a  whaler  they 
were  not  likelv  to  want  for  food.  One  would  think  that  a  creature  so 
powerful  and  active  could  never  be  taken  alive,  but  on  its  hunting  expe- 
ditions among  the  drift-ice,  it  frequently  trusts  itself  to  the  water,  and 
here,  in  spite  of  its  endurance,  man  is  more  active  and  clever,  and  with  a 
well-managed  boat,  a  lucky  cast  of  the  noose  generally  falls  on  the  neck 
of  the  swimming  bear,  when,  half-dragged  and  half-swimming,  he  is 
hoisted  on  deck  like  any  other  animal,  the  noose  round  its  neck  being  a 
guarantee  for  its  good  behavior.  On  their  return  they  are  generally 
sold  to  some  menagerie  or  zoological  garden,  the  price  of  a  full-grown 

bear  being  100  thalers  (75  American  dollars)." 

631 


632  THE  PENDULUM  ISLANDS. 

Parting  company  with  the  Bienenkorb,  the  Germania  now  sought  to 
reach  the  coast  of  Greenland.  Her  path  was  a  tortuous  one,  and  full  of 
danger.  The  day-book  of  the  captain  shows  that  at  the  beginning  of 
the  journey,  after  leaving  the  Hansa,  strong  northwesterly  winds  pre- 
vailed, which  of  course  delayed  the  vessel's  progress  toward  the  coast. 
The  easterly  winds,  on  the  other  hand,  drove  the  ice  toward  the  shore, 
which  thus  became  so  packed  that  it  was  impossible  to  reach  the  main- 
land. Several  weeks  were  spent  in  meeting  these  obstacles,  but  the 
efforts  of  the  ship's  company  were  at  last  rewarded,  and  on  the  5th  of 
August  they  planted  their  flag  on  Greenland  soil. 

The  group  of  islands  which  they  had  now  reached,  known  as  the 
Pendulum  Islands,  were  first  discovered  and  appropriated  by  Clavering, 
in  1823.  [See  voyage  of  Clavering.]  Far  to  the  north  was  seen  Shan- 
non Island,  the  largest  of  the  coast  islands  of  Greenland,  while  south- 
ward lay  Sabine  Island,  only  a  few  miles  from  the  mainland.  Along 
these  islands  the  expedition  hoped  to  make  its  way  northward,  after 
having,  according  to  their  instructions,  sought  for  and  marked  the  posi- 
tion of  Sabine's  observatory. 

The  condition  of  the  ice  was  here  first  distinctly  seen.  The  straits 
between  Sabine  Island  and  the  mainland,  and  also  between  the  several 
islands,  were  completely  blocked  with  what  appeared  to  be  all  land  ice. 
Further  on,  between  Shannon  Island  and  the  mainland,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  the  land  was  firm,  and  the  conclusion  was  soon  reached  that 
there  would  be  no  breaking  up  that  year.  Along  the  coast,  then,  ad- 
vance was  impossible,  and  the  only  practicable  way  remaining  was  along 
the  eastern  side  of  Shannon  Island. 

"  The  question,"  says  Koldewey,  "  has  been  raised  several  times,  es- 
pecially among  inland  people,  as  to  why,  being  unable  to  advance  along 
the  land-ice,  I  did  not  re-enter  the  pack  and  work  my  way  through  it 
northward,  and,  in  a  higher  latitude,  again  try  to  reach  the  coast.  This 
is  opposed  to  all  experience;  it  has  long  been  known  that  in  a  stream  of 
heavy  ice,  in  fact,  in  the  so-called  pack,  never,  nor  at  any  place,  with  the 
strongest  and  best  steamer,  has  a,ny  considerable  progress  been  made 
without  the  support  of  the  coast,  or  the  coast  islands.  Had  I  wished  to 


SLEDGE-JO  URNE  TS. 


633 


have  reached  the  coast  at  a  more  northerly  point,  I  should  have  had  to 
penetrate  the  ice-barrier,  again  to  steer  along  the  northern  border,  and 
force  my  way  into  the  pack  once  more  in  78°.  Such  a  proceeding 
would  certainly  never  have  been  followed  by  the  desired  result,  and  it 
would  have  been  unjustifiable  to  give  up  a  basis  reached  with  so  much 
trouble,  to  follow  a  phantom." 


A   VILLAGE  IN   SOUTHEAST   GREENLAND. 


After  some  fruitless  attempts  to  make  their  way  along  the  coast  in 
the  Germania,  the  party  returned  and  found  winter  quarters  on  Sabinc 
Island,  a  few  miles  to  the  south  and  west  of  Pendulum  Island,  the  land 
which  they  had  at  first  reached.  It  was  now  planned  to  devote  the  winter 
to  sledge-journeys.  The  first  of  these  was  organized  at  once,  and  was 
ready  to  start  on  the  I4th  of  September.  As  on  the  departure  from 


634  FLIGELT  FIORD— KUHN  ISLAND. 

home  the  general  expectation  was  that  the  greatest  and  most  substantial 
discoveries  must  be  made  with  the  ship,  their  instructions  spoke  only  of 
probable  glacier  excursions  to  the  interior  of  the  country,  and  not  of 
extensive  sledge-journeys  along  the  coast  and  the  banks  of  the  Fiord. 
For  the  particular  necessities  of  these  journeys,  therefore,  no  provision 
was  made  at  the  outfitting  in  Bremen,  and  the  sledge  apparatus  (tents, 
coverings,  and  so  on)  was  not  quite  what  was  needed. 

They  had  learned  from  experience  during  the  summer  that  the  round 
tent  with  a  pole  in  the  center,  which  they  had  brought  from  Bremen, 
was  not  practically  useful;  it  was,  therefore,  changed  into  a  four-cornered 
one,  and  provided  with  a  roof.  At  each  corner  a  pole  was  placed  per- 
pendicularly, and  fastened  by  ropes,  held  and  propped  up  with  stones. 
Their  further  apparatus  consisted  of  necessary  woolen  coverings  (for 
they  had  not  yet  taken  to  furs),  provisions  for  eight  days,  of  instruments 
notably  the  theodolite,  that  essential  in  all  coast  surveys,  and  the  cus- 
tomary barometer  and  thermometer. 

The  sledges,  which  carried  about  six  hundred  weight,  \vere  drawn  by 
six  men,  the  Captain,  First  Lieut.  Payer,  Trauwitz,  Krauschner,  Kleutz- 
ner,  and  Ellinger,  traveling  with  comparative  ease  over  the  almost  snow- 
less  ice.  Fligely  Fiord  and  Kuhn  Island  were  to  constitute  the  objects 
of  their  investigations,  and  these  points  were  first  sought.  "The  shore 
of  the  Fiord,"  says  Copeland,  "  was  surrounded  by  beautiful  mountain- 
chains — to  the  north  gneiss — and  granite  cliffs  at  the  foot  of  which  were 
slopes  covered  with  soft  grassy  vegetation;  to  the  south  rose  ice-crowned 
rocks,  the  highest  of  which  (we  will  call  it  Domberg)  was  certainly 
more  than  3900  feet  high.  Reindeer  came  from  all  sides  of  the  strand 
in  a  state  of  wonder;  but  this  time  we  withstood  the  desire  to  hunt,  in 
order  to  lose  no  time.  Only  once  was  the  journey  interrupted  by  a 
slight  topographical  incident.  A  bear  which  came  near  us  we  frightened 
away  by  shouting,  after  which  Kleutzner  fell  through  the  ice;  he  was 
pulled  out,  and  had  to  cross  a  long  broad  breach." 

Fligely  Fiord  was  explored  and  surveyed  up  to  where  its  inland 
boundary  becomes  a  part  of  the  rugged  mainland  beyond.  On  Kuhn 
Island  Lieut.  Payer  noticed  a  stone  of  exceedingly  light  color,  which  on 


A  DEC  AT  ED   COMMUNITY.  G,T> 

the  south  side  of  the  island  formed  solid  overhanging  crystals,  to  at 
least  2000  feet  high.  Leaving  the  sledge,  to  his  great  astonishment  he 
stumbled  upon  a  layer  of  coal,  its  strata  alternating  with  sandstone. 
Further  investigations  proved  the  existence  of  the  carboniferous  deposit 
in  large  quantities — possibly  a  useful  factor  in  the  future  development, 
or  subjugation,  of  East  Greenland.  The  party  soon  returned  to  the  ship, 
having  walked  a  distance  of  133  miles. 

The  months  of  September  and  October  were  spent  in  making  prep' 
arations  for  the  coming  winter.  The  Germania  was  released  from  the 
icy  bands  which  the  early  fall  had  cast  about  her,  and  was  drawn  closer 
to  the  body  of  Sabine's  Island,  where,  moored  in  a  convenient  bay,  she 
could  fearlessly  withstand  the  shocks  common  to  vessels  wintering  with- 
in the  Arctic  circle.  On  the  nth  of  October  the  ship  was  surrounded 
with  a  wall  made  of  blocks  of  ice  frozen  together,  and  a  sort  of  break- 
water or  boundary  to  the  little  harbor  was  constructed  of  the  same 
material. 

The  winters  spent  by  most  American  and  British  explorers  in  Arctic 
regions  have  been  somewhat  ameliorated  by  companionship  with  natives. 
The  consciousness  that  other  human  beings  can  and  do  live  in  these  des- 
olated regions  is  a  great  source  of  comfort  to  sojourners  in  the  north,  es- 
pecially when  this  knowledge  is  gained  by  actual  contact  with  the  deni- 
zens of  the  ice.  Up  to  this  point,  however,  our  explorers  had  seen  no 
trace  of  natives,  nor  indeed  any  signs  of  their  having  formerly  occupied 
this  portion  of  Greenland.  The  conclusion,  therefore,  was  that  the  Es- 
quimaux had  either  deserted  their  former  abodes,  or  had  become  extinct. 
Clavering,  in  1823,  had  found  an  Esquimaux  settlement  on  the  island 
bearing  his  name,  but  both  natives  and  their  habitations  had  now  disap- 
peared. A  few  skeletons  and  rude  implements  alone  remained  to  tell  the 
story  of  the  decayed  community. 

Fall,  winter,  and  spring  found  the  voyagers  usefully  employed  in  ex- 
ploring and  surveying  the  fiords  and  gulfs  of  East  Greenland,  in  taking 
magnetic  readings,  and  in  compiling  tabulated  statements  of  their  scien- 
tific discoveries.  The  absence  of  dogs  and  reindeer  made  their  labors 
very  severe.  Supplies,  tents,  instruments,  all  the  paraphernalia  of  an 


636  ATTACKED  BT  A  BEAR. 

Arctic  sledge-journey  had  to  be  dragged  through  the  snow  by  the  men 
themselves,  the  officers  participating  in  this  labor  with  appropriate  en- 
thusiasm.  In  this  way  several  degrees  of  the  eastern  wall  of  the  conti- 
nent of  Greenland  were  accurately  explored  and  laid  down. 

It  is  probable  that  no  expedition  has  had  so  varied  and  thrilling  an  ex- 
perience with  the  animal  life  of  the  north  as  the  party  of  our  present 
narration.  Almost  no  journey  was  undertaken  without  more  or  less 
danger  from  the  immense  bears  which  inhabit  these  regions,  and  some- 
times the  creatures  approached  the  vessel  itself  with  great  boldness.  An 
incident  occurred  on  the  6th  of  March,  in  which  a  valued  member  of 
the  expedition  nearly  lost  his  life  from  the  boldness  of  one  of  these 
beasts. 

"  We  were  sitting,"  writes  Lieut.  Payer,  "fortunately  silent  in  the 
cabin,  when  Koldewey  suddenly  heard  a  faint  cry  for  help.  We  all  hur- 
riedly tumbled  up  the  companion-ladder  to  the  deck,  when  an  exclama- 
tion from  Borgen,  'A  bear  is  carrying  me  off,'  struck  painfully  on  our  ears. 

"  It  was  quite  dark;  we  could  scarcely  see  anything,  but  we  made  di- 
rectly for  the  quarter  whence  the  cry  proceeded,  armed  with  poles, 
weapons,  etc.,  over  hummocks  and  drifts,  when  an  alarm  shot  which  we 
fired  into  the  air,  seemed  to  make  some  impression,  as  the  bear  dropped 
his  prey,  and  ran  forward  a  few  paces.  He  turned  again,  however,  drag- 
ging his  victim  over  the  broken  shore-ice,  close  to  a  field  which  stretched 
in  a  southerly  direction.  All  depended  upon  our  coming  up  with  him 
before  he  should  reach  this  field,  as  he  would  carry  Jiis  prey  over  the  open 
plain  with  the  speed  of  a  horse,  and  thus  escape.  We  succeeded.  The 
bear  turned  upon  us  for  a  moment,  and  then,  scared  by  our  continuous 
fire,  let  fall  his  prey. 

"  We  lifted  our  poor  comrade  upon  the  ice  to  bear  him  to  his  cabin, 
a  task  which  was  rendered  difficult  by  the  slippery  and  uneven  surface 
of  the  ice.  But  after  we  had  gone  a  little  way,  Borgen  implored  us  to 
make  as  much  hasta  as  possible.  On  procuring  a  light  the  coldest  nature 
would  have  been  shocked  by  the  spectacle  which  poor  Borgen  presented. 
The  bear  had  torn  his  scalp  in  several  places,  and  he  had  received  several 
injuries  in  other  parts  of  his  body.  His  clothes  and  hair  were  saturated 


OBSERVATIONS  ON  ANIMALS.  637 

with  blood.      We  improvised  a  couch   for  him   in  the  rear  of  our  own 
cabin,  as  his  own  was  not  large  enough. 

<;  The  first  operation  was  performed  upon  him  on  the  cabin  table. 
And  here  we  may  briefly  notice  the  singular  fact  that,  although  he  had 
been  carried  more  than  one  hundred  paces  with  his  skull  almost  laid 
bare,  at  a  temperature  of  — 13  Fahrenheit,  his  scalp  healed  so  perfectly 
that  not  a  portion  was  missing."  Dr.  Borgen's  youth  and  vigorous 
constitution  soon  enabled  him  to  throw  off  the  evil  effects  of  the  shock 
to  which  he  had  been  subjected,  but  the  whole  party  from  that  time  were 
careful  not  to  wander  forth  alone  in  the  dark. 

The  observations  of  the  party  were  carried  on  with  the  characteristic 
German  accuracy.  Particular  attention  was  given  by  the  naturalists  to 
the  animal  life  both  of  land  and  sea,  as  well  as  to  the  scanty  flora  exhibited 
among  the  barren  rocks  on  which  they  had  fallen.  Space  fails  us  to  give 
in  detail  the  results  of  these  investigations,  but  they  form  a  very  important 
chapter  in  the  natural  history  of  the  north.  Actual  contact  in  the  hunt, 
with  much  of  the  animal  life,  gave  them  an  opportunity  to  generalize 
from  real  observation  upon  the  characteristics  and  habits  of  the  north- 
ern fauna.  Bear,  musk-ox,  hare,  fox,  lemming,  and  sea-horse — all  passed 
under  the  scientific  knife  of  Pansch  and  Borgen,  and  the  fact  that  their 
little  stock  of  provisions  must  be  lengthened  in  some  original  way,  made 
the  opportunities  for  these  investigations  more  frequent  than  they  would 
otherwise  have  been.  Indeed,  these  animals  were  sought,  not  more  for 
scientific  purposes,  than  for  a  more  obvious  and  substantial  utility. 

The  encounters  with  many  of  these  animals  are  said  to  have  been  at- 
tended with  the  greatest  danger.  The  appearance  and  mode  of  warfare  of 
the  walrus  is  graphically  described  by  an  eye-witness:  "  If  any  creature 
deserve  the  name  of  monster,  it  is  the  walrus.  It  is  from  nine  feet  six 
inches  to  sixteen  feet  six  inches  in  length,  weighs  about  two  thousand 
pounds,  and  its  skin  is  three  and  a  half  inches  thick  (a  sort  of  massive 
coat  of  mail),  with  large  eye,  and  a  head  of  infinite  ugliness. 

"  Should  one  of  these  monsters  see  a  boat,  it  raises  itself,  astonished, 
above  the  surface,  utters  at  once  a  cry  of  alarm,  swimming  toward  it 
as  quickly  as  possible.  This  -call  brings  up  others,  awakens  the  sleepers 


CONCLUSION  OF  THE    VOTAGE.  639 

which  the  boat  had  carefully  avoided,  and  in  a  short  time  the  vessel  is 
followed  by  a  number  of  these  monsters,  blustering  in  apparent  or  real 
fury  in  all  their  hideousness. 

"  The  creatures  may  possibly  be  only  actuated  by  curiosity,  but  their 
manner  of  showing  it  is  so  ill-chosen  that  one  feels  obliged  to  act  on  the 
defensive.  The  bellowing,  jerking  and  diving  herd  is  now  but  a  short 
distance  from  the  boat.  The  first  shot  strikes,  thus  inflaming  their 
wrath,  and  now  begins  a  wild  fight,  in  which  some  of  the  black  sphinxes 
are  struck  with  axes  on  the  flippers  with  which  they  threaten  to  over- 
turn the  boat."  On  the  ice,  however,  the  sea-horse  falls  an  easy  victim 
to  stratagem,  as  his  means  of  locomotion  on  this  element  are  very  limited. 

As  spring  advanced,  the  crew  of  the  Germania  made  preparations  for 
their  homeward  journey.  The  vessel,  so  long  a  prisoner  in  icy  chains, 
became  free  about  the  first  of  July,  and  the  engine  being  repaired  as  well 
as  circumstances  would  permit,  some  cruising  was  done  as  a  finishing 
touch  to  the  work  of  the  season.  After  examining  Shannon  Island  and 
vicinity  they  departed  for  Germany,  where  they  arrived  on  the  i  ith  of 
September,  after  an  uneventful  voyage  of  three  weeks.  They  found 
their  countrymen  at  home  wild  with  excitement  on  account  of  recent  vic- 
tories over  the  French,  but  none  the  less  glad  to  welcome  the  sailors, 
who  had  shown  perhaps  as  much  daring  in  facing  the  stern  weather  of 
the  north,  as  the  regulars  had  exhibited  before  the  guns  of  the  enemy. 

The  light  thrown  on  the  Arctic  question  by  the  voyages  of  the  Hansa 
and  Germania  seemed  to  justify  the  following  conclusions:  Uninterrupted 
open  coast  water  along  the  coast  of  East  Greenland  had  been  proved  not 
to  exist;  and  it  was  shown  that  the  coast  water  was  dependent  merely 
on  local  circumstances.  East  Greenland  was  proved  not  to  form  a  suita- 
ble basis  for  reaching  the  North  Pole,  even  setting  aside  the  possibility 
of  reaching  a  higher  latitude  by  ship  along  the  coast  in  more  favorable 
years.  On  the  other  hand,  by  inquiries  into  the  geology,  natural  history, 
and  climate  of  the  country  itself,  and  by  the  investigation  of  the  large 
fiords  and  their  extent  north  and  south,  a  new  basis  for  promoting  Arc- 
tic discoveries  had  been  created,  promising  rich  results,  which  may  even- 
tually assist  in  a  substantial  way  in  solving  the  Arctic  problem. 


CHAPTER   LXX. 

HALL'S  SECOND    VOYAGE — DISCOVERS    RELICS    OF    FRANKLIN  —  THE 

POLARIS OFFICERS  SELECTED  FOR  THIRD  VOYAGE EBIERBING 

AND    TOOKOOLITO A    DIFFERENCE  OF  OPINION THE    HIGHEST 

POINT LAST  WORDS  PENNED  BY  HALL SLEDGE-JOURNEY  TO 

THE  NORTH SICKNESS  AND  DEATH  OF    HALL COMMENTS  ON 

HALL THE  POLARIS  IN  DANGER NINETEEN  PERSONS  LEFT  ON 

THE  ICE A  DRIFT  OF  NEARLY  TEN  DEGREES. 

Hall  undertook  his  second  voyage  to  the  Arctic  regions  in  1864,  sail- 
ing from  New  London,  Conn.,  in  a  whaling  ship  commanded  by  Capt. 
Buddington.  His  only  companions  were  Ebierbing  and  his  wife  Tookoo- 
lito,  the  Esquimaux  who  had  accompanied  him  to  America  on  his  return 
from  his  first  expedition.  It  was  his  ambition  to  reach  King  William's 
Land  and  explore  it.  As  soon  as  Hudson's  Bay  was  reached  he  landed, 
pushed  north  as  far  as  Hecla  and  Fury  Bay,  after  which  he  entered  the 
land  of  his  search.  He  remained  four  winters  in  King  William's  Land, 
living  with  the  natives  during  the  entire  time,  principally  near  Repulse 
Bay.  He  made  himself  familiar  with  their  habits  and  customs,  and  be- 
came proficient  in  their  language.  From  all  that  could  be  learned  from 
the  Esquimaux  he  became  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  greater  portion 
of  Franklin's  party  had  died  of  starvation  in  that  country,  but  few  01 
them  succeeding  in  reaching  the  mainland.  Many  relics  of  the  ill-fated 
Franklin  Expedition  were  found  by  him  and  brought  to  America,  but  the 
most  diligent  and  persistent  search  failed  to  discover  any  documents 
which  could  shed  any  light  upon  the  mystery,  from  which  it  is  supposed 
that  when  compelled  to  hastily  abandon  the  ships  the  records  were  left 
behind  and  lost;  and  that  the  ships  were  left  in  a  hurry,  is  evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  no  stores  or  provisions  have  ever  been  found.  It  did,  how- 
ever, appear  reasonably  certain  that  Franklin  had  succeeded  in  passing 

640 


THE  POLARIS.  641 

as  far  westward  as  any  point  since  reached,  and  that  to  his  enterprise  is 
really  due  the  discovery  of  the  much  sought  Northwest  Passage. 

Of  Hall's  second  expedition  but  little  has  ever  been  written — noth- 
ing by  himself.  He  had  armed  himself  with  full  and  complete  notes, 
which  he  intended  to  furnish  the  public  upon  the  completion  of  his  third 
voyage  and  the  discovery  of  the  Pole,  of  which  he  felt  confident. 

After  his  return  home  he  worked  laboriously  to  prevail  upon  the 
government  to  fit  out  another  Arctic  expedition,  and  after  months  of  toil 
his  efforts  were  finally  successful ;  then  was  placed  at  his  disposal  every- 
thing which  thoughtful  humanity  could  devise  to  insure  the  success 
of  his  undertaking.  The  schooner-rigged  steamer  Periwinkle,  four  hun- 
dred tons  burden,  was  purchased,  and  fitted  up  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
make  her  equal  to  the  new  service  required  of  her.  To  her  sides  were 
added  six  inches  of  solid  oak  planking,  and  her  bows  were  transformed 
into  an  almost  solid  mass,  encased  in  iron  which  ended  with  a  sharp  cut- 
water. In  order  to  better  avoid  the  dangers  sure  to  be  encountered  in 
the  ice  the  propeller  was  so  arranged  that  it  could  easily  be  removed 
from  its  place,  and  deposited  on  deck.  In  case  of  accident  extra  ma- 
chinery and  rigging  were  provided.  To  meet  the  special  service  in  which 
they  were  to  engage  the  boats  were  built  of  superior  strength,  and  in 
order  that  it  might  be  easily  transported  over  ice  when  it  intervened 
between  open  waters,  one,  with  a  capacity  of  four  tons,  was  built,  which 
weighed  only  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  Everything  which  could 
be  thought  of  was  provide^  for  the  comfort,  safety,  and  success  of  the 
officers  and  men  about  to  engage  in  so  difficult  and  perilous  an  expedi- 
tion in  the  most  cheerless  and  deserted  region  ever  penetrated  by  man. 
As  soon  as  the  vessel  had  been  refitted  she  was  very  appropriately 
re-christened  the  Polaris — '.'The  Pole  Star." 

As  soon  as  the  expedition  became  a  settled  fact,  Capt.  Hall  at  once 
commenced  selecting  his  officers  and  crew.  The  expedition  was  to  be 
under  his  immediate  command.  His  eight  yeai's'  experience  in  the  Ai'c- 
tic  regions,  a  knowledge  of  the  Esquimaux  language,  and  the  happy 
faculty  of  maintaining  strict  discipline  without  losing  popularity  among 
his  men,  certainly  qualified  him  for  the  position.  The  sailing-master, 


642 


THE  SHIPS   COMPANT. 


Sydney  O.  Buddington,  had  made  eleven  whaling  voyages,  covering  a 
period  of  thirty  years,  and  was  in  command  of  the  George  Henry  when 
Hall  made  his  first  trip  in  her  in  search  of  Franklin.  George  E.  Tyson 
was  selected  as  assistant  navigator;  Hubbard  Chester,  first  mate;  Will- 
liam  Morton,  second  mate,  who  twenty  years  before  had  been  Kane's 
best  man,  and  who  discovered  what  Kane  then  believed  to  be  an  open 
polar  sea,  but  which  has  since  proven  to  be  merely  an  expansion  of 
Smith's  Sound;  Emil  Bessel,  who  was  armed  with  high"  testimonials 


HIGHEST   POINT   ACHIEVED   BY   THE   POI.AKIS. 


irom  Germany,  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  scientific  department,  a  posi- 
tion held  previously  in  an  expedition  sent  out  by  the  Prussian  Govern- 
ment. In  addition  to  these  were  Emil  Schumann,  chief  engineer; 
Frederick  Meyer,  meteorologist ;  R.  D.  W.  Bryan,  astronomer  and  chap- 
lain; the  Esquimaux  Ebierbing,  his  wife  Tookoolito,  and  their  child 
"  Puny,"  who  was  born  to  them  after  the  death  of  "  Butterfly  "  in  this 
country.  Ebierbing  was  to  act  as  interpreter  and  hunter.  In  all  capaci- 
ties the  crew  numbered  seventeen,  about  one-half  of  whom  were  Ger- 
mans or  Scandinavians,  TO  this  number,  upon  their  arrival  at  Greenland, 


HIGHEST  POINT  OF  POLARIS.  643 

was  added  a  dog-driver,  the  Hans  Christian   of  Kane  and  Hayes,  with 
his  wife  and  three  children. 

On  June  29,  1871,  the  Polaris  steamed  out  of  New  York  harbor,  and 
on  the  i3th  of  July  reached  St.  John's,  Newfoundland,  where  the  gov- 
ernor and  citizens  extended  to  the  expedition  a  hearty  welcome.  From 
St.  John's  they  proceeded  up  Davis'  Straits  and  arrived  at  Holsteinborg, 
Greenland,  on  the  3ist.  They  remained  there  purchasing  dogs,  furs  and 
other  articles  necessary  until  the  arrival  of  the  transport,  Congress,  with 
additional  stores  and  supplies;  after  which,  on  Aug.  17,  the  journey  to 
the  Pole  was  fairly  commenced.  Stops  were  made  at  Upernavik  and 
Kong-i-toke,  for  the  purchase  of  more  dogs,  and  on  the  22d,  Tessuisac 
was  reached,  the  most  northern  permanent  settlement  on  the  globe,  being 
in  latitude  70°  30'. 

When  they  were  in  Holsteinborg  there  was  a  difference  of  opinion 
between  Hall  and  his  scientific  associates  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued. 
Hall's  object  was  to  reach  the  Pole,  and  to  this  he  determined  that  all 
else  should  be  subordinate.  The  dispute  was  adjusted,  and  Hall's  view 
prevailed.  During  the  three  days  they  remained  at  Tessuisak  he  wrote 
a  lengthy  dispatch,  showing  that  all  the  party  were  in  excellent  spirits, 
and  full  of  hope,  but  this  dispatch  did  not  reach  the  United  States  for 
nearly  a  year. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  1871,  the  Polaris  entered  the  regions  of  per- 
petual ice  and  snow,  and  from  that  time  until  the  3Oth  of  April,  1873, 
not  a  word  was  heard  from  the  expedition  by  the  civilized  world.  When 
the  Polaris  left  Tessuisak  she  crossed  the  head  of  Melville  Bay;  passed 
Northumberland  Island,  going  through  Smith's  Sound.  Meeting  with 
very  little  obstruction  from  the  ice,  she  proceeded  until  she  entered  what 
Kane,  Morton,  and  Hayes  pronounced  the  Open  Polar  Sea,  but  which 
proved  to  be  but  an  expansion  of  the  sound,  and  to  which  the  name  of 
Kane  Sea  has  since  been  given.  In  a  week  they  reached  their  highest 
northern  point,  82°  29'  by  Hall's  reckoning,  and  82°  16'  by  Meyer's 
calculation,  a  difference  of  about  fifteen  miles.  On  Aug.  30  the  channel 
which  had  been  named  Robeson  Strait,  became  blocked  with  floating 
ice,  through  which  it  was  found  impossible  to  make  a  passage,  A  small 


614  LAST    WORDS  PENNED  BT  HALL. 

bay  was  found  close  by  named  Refuge  Harbor,  in  which  Hall  desired  to 
take  winter  quarters.  A  consultation,  however,  decided  against  this,  and' 
soon  after  the  ice  became  master  of  the  situation,  drifting  the  Polaris  in 
a  southerly  direction  for  four  days.  The  pack  opened  on  Sept.  3,  and 
a  cove  was  made  to  the  eastward,  which  set  into  the  Greenland  shore. 
An  immense  iceberg  sheltered  its  mouth,  and  here  it  was  determined  to 
pass  the  winter.  The  cove  is  in  latitude  80°  38',  and  was  named  Polaris 
Bay,  while  the  huge  island  of  ice  was  designated  Providenceberg.  This 
point  is  about  two  hundred  miles  north  of  Kane's  famous  winter  quar- 
ters, and  about  three  miles  north  of  the  farthest  point  reached  by  Hayes. 
The  iceberg  was  used  as  a  mooring  place  for  the  Polaris,  an  obser- 
vatory was  at  once  established,  scientific  work  was  commenced  immedi- 
ately, and  Hall  began  preparations  for  a  sledge  journey  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Pole,  which  were  soon  completed.  On  October  10  he 
started  with  four  sledges  and  fourteen  dogs,  accompanied  by  Chester, 
the  mate,  and  the  Esquimaux,  Ebierbing  and  Hans.  The  expedi- 
tion was  planned  to  last  two  weeks,  one  to  go  north,  and  the  other 
in  which  to  return.  On  the  evening  of  the  2Oth  Hall  wrote  the  last 
words  ever  penned  by  him,  which  were  a  communication  to  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Navy.  It  was  a  description  of  their  voyage  up  to  the 
time  of  settling  down  in  their  winter  quarters,  and  was  full  of  words  of 
hope  and  confidence  in  the  success  of  the  expedition.  A  copy  of  the 
dispatch  was  placed  in  a  pillar  at  Brevoort  Cape,  the  northern  head- 
land of  the  bay,  where  the  encampment  was  made  on  the  2ist  of 
October,  1871.  The  original,  which  was  first  read  in  Washington 
nearly  two  years  after  it  was  written,  showed  conclusively  that  he  was 
confident  of  success,  and,  taken  in  connection  with  the  one  written  form- 
erly, refuted  the  charges  that  the  equipment  of  the  Polaris  was  incom- 
plete. The  expedition  advanced  north  ten  days,  making  six  encamp- 
ments and  progressing  seventy  miles,  or  about  83°  5'  north.  At  that 
point  there  was  an  appearance  of  land  still  north  of  them,  but  a  cloud 
prevented  any  observation  which  would  definitely  settle  the '  matter. 
With  the  exception  of  a  glacier  on  the  east  side  of  the  strait,  com- 
mencing in  latitude  80°  30'  north,  the  mountains  on  all  sides  of  Kennedy 


S/CKJVZSS  OF  HALL. 


645 


Channel  and  Robeson  Strait  were  free  from  snow  and  ice.  Live  seals, 
geese,  ducks,  musk  cattle,  rabbits,  wolves,  foxes,  bears,  partridges, 
lemmings,  etc.,  were  found  in  abundance.  On  the  I3th,  three  days  after 
they  started,  the  Arctic  night  set  in,  the  thermometer  then  being  7°. 

The  return  trip  was  made  rapidly,  the  party  teaching  the  Polaris  in 
four  days.  Hall  was  apparently  in  his  usual  health,  but  the  change  from 
an  open  air  temperature  of  from  15°  to  20°  below  zero,  to  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  cabin  of  60°  or  70°  above,  had  a  bad  effect  upon  him,  and 


BURIAL  OK  H.U.I.. 


he  partook  of  no  refreshment  except  a  cup  of  coffee.  After  indulging 
in  a  hot  sponge  bath,  he  retired  for  the  night.  In  the  morning  his  con- 
dition had  changed  for  the  worse,  and  he  suffered  much  from  a  burning 
in  the  throat,  and  vomiting.  He  steadily  grew  worse  for  a  week,  and  to 
the  complications  were  added  partial  paralysis  and  delirium.  He  par- 
tially recovered  and  made  an  attempt  to  resume  his  work,  believing 
that  in  a  few  days  he  would  be  completely  restored  to  health.  In  this  he 
was  doomed  to  disappointment,  as  on  the  night  of  Nov.  8  he  had  a 
fresh  attack,  and  Avas  found  in  his  cabin  by  Tyson,  insensible,  and  breath- 


646  COMMENTS   ON  HALL. 

ing  heavily.  That  night  he  died,  and  three  days  later  he  was  laid  in  a 
shallow  grave  in  the  frozen  ground.  The  doctor  pronounced  the  cause 
of  death  to  be  apoplexy,  but  Hall  believed  that  poison  had  been  placed 
in  the  cup  of  coffee  which  he  drank,  and  in  the  delirium  which  preceded 
his  death  he  imagined  that  every  person  who  went  near  him  was  en- 
deavoring to  kill  him.  In  regard  to  the  matter,  the  commission  reported 
without  a  dissenting  voice  that  "  the  death  of  Capt.  Hall  resulted  natu- 
rally from  disease,  without  fault  on  the  part  of  any  one." 

Physically,  Hall  was  an  exceptional  man.  His  tenacity  of  life  and 
powers  of  endurance  were  far  above  those  of  ordinary  men.  Above 
medium  height,  he  was  powerfully  built,  with  broad  chest,  muscular 
limbs,  and  a  large  head.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  temperate  habits, 
and  after  his  return  from  his  second  expedition,  after  passing  through  the 
ordeal  of  an  Arctic  winter,  a  more  robust  man  could  not  have  been 
found.  In  the  event  of  Hall's  death  the  command  was  to  fall  upon  Bud- 
dington.  The  winter  was  passed  in  the  usual  manner  in  that  region, 
but  no  trouble  was  experienced  from  cold  or  want  of  food.  The  scien- 
tific observations  were  made  constantly,  and  whenever  it  was  possible  to 
do  so,  the  coast  was  surveyed.  Whenever  the  opportunity  was  favorable, 
the  Esquimaux  hunted  with  success,  and  in  this  manner  an  abundance  of 
skins  was  procured.  The  storerooms  were  also  well  filled  with  the 
skeletons  of  animals  and  birds,  eggs,  and  many  other  curiosities  of  natural 
history.  Nets  and  lines  were  set,  but  no  fish  could  be  caught.  Con- 
siderable driftwood  was  picked  up,  which  had  evidently  found  its  way 
there  from  a  warmer  climate. 

A  fierce  gale  from  the  northeast,  about  two  weeks  after  the  death  of 
Hall,  drove  the  Polaris  from  her  moorings,  and  she  dragged  her  anchors 
until  she  landed  against  the  iceberg  at  the  mouth  of  the  cove,  where  she 
was  secured,  and  remained  there  until  June  following.  Later  she  was 
driven  further  on  the  berg  by  pack  ice,  where  her  prow  remained  fast, 
while  the  stern  moved  up  and  down,  as  influenced  by  the  tides.  This 
position  strained  the  stern-piece  and  started  a  portion  of  the  planking,  so 
that  when  she  once  more  settled  in  her  native  element  it  was  found  that 
she  leaked  considerably.  However,  when  emptied  once  by  the  steam 


A   BOAT  EXPEDITION. 


647 


pumps  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  keep  the    hold   clear  hy  working   a   few 
minutes  each  hour. 

Chester  and  Tyson,  under  orders  from  Buddiagton,  undertook  a  boat 
expedition  early  in  June.  The  orders  were  to  go  as  far  as  they  could  up 
the  shore.  The  expedition  was  a  failure.  One  boat  was  crushed  by  the 
ice  almost  at  the  hour  of  starting.  Its  place  was  supplied  by  the  canvas 
boat,  but  they  failed  to  reach  a  point  as  far  north  as  that  reached  by  Hall 
in  his  sledge-journey.  They  remained  there  until  the  middle  of  July, 
1872,  but  before  the  ice  opened  they  were  recalled  by  Buddington,  arttl 
/r^_.  ,  the  party  was  compelled 

to  abandon  the  boats  and 
j   make  their  way  back  to 
the    steamer     overland. 
|  Buddington    had    deter- 
j  mined  to  return  home  as 
soon    as    the    ice    would 
|  leave  him  at  liberty  to  do 
so,    and    under    existing 
circumstances     this 
seemed  the  wiser  course, 
although  it  is  not  believed 
that  had  Hall  been  living 
he  would  have  consented 
to  it. 

The  ice  left  the  Polaris  free  early  in  August,  and  she  steamed  slowly 
down  the  western  shore.  At  the  close  of  the  first  day  she  was  fastened 
in  the  ice,  and  was  in  a  very  dangerous  position.  In  latitude  80°  2 '  she 
was  made  fast  to  a  floe  on  the  i6th,  which  drifted  her  hither  and  thither 
in  Smith's  Sound  for  two  months,'  during  which  time  not  more  than 
twelve  miles  were  gained  to  the  south,  bringing  her  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Northumberland  Island,  in  latitude  79°  53'.  Apprehending  danger, 
provisions  were  carried  on  deck,  a  canvas  shelter  was  erected  on  the  ice* 
and  every  preparation  made  for  a  speedy  abandonment  of  the  vessel 
should  it  become  necessary. 


GRAVE  OF    HALL. 


648  ON    THE  ICE. 

A  very  severe  gale  set  in  from  the  south  on  Oct.  15.  The  ice  pressed 
in  under  the  ship,  and  she  was  actually  lifted  out  of  the  water  and  thrown 
on  her  beam  ends  on  the  ice.  Provisions  and  stores  were  thrown  over, 
and  under  orders  about  half  the  crew  proceeded  to  carry  them  to  a  more  se- 
cure place.  The  boats  had  been  lowered,  and  in  the  middle  of  the 
night,  in  the  midst  of  a  terrific  storm,  the  Polaris  broke  loose  and  imme- 
diately disappeared,  leaving  on  the  ice  the  nineteen  persons  who  had 
gone  there  to  save  the  provisions,  at  which  they  labored  all  night.  In  the 
morning  they  attempted  to  reach  the  shore,  but  failed.  The  Polaris  was 
seen  during  the  day  under  sail  and  steam,  but  soon  changed  her  course, 
and  disappeared.  Another  glimpse  of  her  was  caught  a  few  hours  later, 
but  she  again  disappeared,  and  they  very  naturally  believed  that  they  had 
been  purposely  abandoned. 

The  hardships  endured  by  those  who  were  left  upon  the  ice  are  be- 
yond description.  For  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  days  these  nineteen 
men,  women,  and  children  drifted  on  floating  ice  through  fin  Arctic  win- 
ter, at  the  mercy  of -wind  and  water.  The  floe  upon  which  they  found 
themselves  on  leaving  the  ship  was  soon  shattered,  and  the  party  found 
themselves  distributed  on  different  pieces  of  ice.  They  had  two  boats, 
with  which  they  finally  succeq^ed  in  gathering  all  upon  the  principal 
floe,  where  they  remained  more  dead  than  alive,  all  night.  Several  at- 
tempts were  made  to  reach  the  shore.  The  dogs  and  sledges  were  put 
in  readiness,  and  each  attempt  to  escape  proved  a  dismal  failure.  When 
it  was  seen  that  there  was  no  prospect  of  reaching  the  shore  snow- 
houses  were  built,  and  everything  possible  was  done  to  make  the  time 
pass  comfortably  and  pleasantly.  Land  was  seen  for  several  days,  but  as  the 
weather  was  unfavorable  for  taking  observations,  it  could  not  be  recog- 
nized. Sometimes  they  were  in  a  condition  bordering  on  starvation,  and 
saw  death  staring  them  in  the  face.  Cannibalism  was  thought  of,  but 
each  time  food  was  furnished  in  time  to  save  them. 

Meyer  succeeded  in  taking  an  observation  on  New  Year's  Eve,  and 
found  they  were  in  latitude  72°  10',  longitude  60°  40' ;  showing  that  in 
nine  weeks  they  had  drifted  southward  about  five  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  miles.  This  was  cheering  news,  though  the  thermometer  stood 


A   PERILOUS  POSITION. 


fi49 


39°  below  zero.  This  was  early  in  Janua-ry.  In  February  they  en- 
countered several  storms,  and  very  cold  weather.  The  close  of  the 
month  found  them  nearly  out  of  provisions,  but  early  in  March  they 
caught  some  seals,  and  had  food  in  abundance.  Immense  icebergs  sur- 
rounded the  floe,  and  it  was  soon  cracking  and  splitting  with  as  much  noise 
as  is  made  by  artillery  and  musketry  in  battle.  Everything  was  broken 
in  pieces,  and  the  party  stuck  to  the  largest  piece.  On  the  last  day  of 
March  an  observation  showed  them  to  be  in  latitude  59°  4i'g>and  that 
during  the  last  five  days  they  had  drifted  at  the  rate  of  twenty-three 
miles  per  day.  At  that  time  their  piece  of  ice  had  grown  much  smaller, 
and  they  were  in  clear  water,  no  other  ice  being  in  sight. 


CHAPTER    LXXI. 

ADVENTURES     OF    TYSON    AND     PARTY     ON    THE     ICE MEYER    SWEPT 

AWAY  AN      AGONY       OF      SUSPENSE  THE      INEVITABLE      GALE 

AGA*N A    SIGHT    OF    THE    STARS RESCUED    AT    LAST EXPERI- 
ENCES   OF    THE    POLARIS    CREW THE    SHIP  ABANDONED ON    THE 

OCEAN    IN    BOATS PICKED    UP ARRIVE    AT    DUNDEE., 

'  The  month  of  April  came  in  with  a  terrific  storm,  and  it  became  evi- 
dent to  our  adventurers  that  they  must  leave  the  ice  and  take  refuge  in 
the  boat.  They  got  under  way  early  in  the  morning,  but  found  their 
craft  leaking  badly,  and  loaded  too  deep  to  carry  them.  Meat  and  clothes 
were  thrown  overboard,  and  nothing  was  carried  but  a  tent,  a  few  skins 
for  covering,  and  a  little  bread  and  pemmican.  About  fifteen  miles  were 
made  in  a  southerly  direction,  when  a  landing  was  made  to  lighten  the 
boat.  The  tent  was  pitched,  and  the  party  remained  all  night,  although 
the  ice  was  cracking  and  breaking  up  all  around  them.  The  voyage 
was  resumed  again  in  the  morning,  but  had  only  proceeded  about  two 
hours  before  they  encountered  a  gale.  They  had  a  number  of  narrow 
escapes  before  a  piece  of  ice  large  enough  to  land  upon  could  be  found; 
upon  landing,  the  boat  was  rapidly  making  water,  and  when  cleared, 
a  great  hole  was  found  in  her  side.  Repairs  were  made  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble, and  they  took  to  the  water,  only  to  find  themselves  again  surrounded 
by  ice  in  such  a  manner  that  they  were  compelled  to  seek  refuge  on  a 
floe.  Gale  succeeded  gale,  and  as  the  ice  continued  to  break  they  were 
constantly  removing  their  things  to  a  new  center.  On  the  night  of  the 
yth  it  broke  again,  carrying  with  it  the  boat,  the  kayak,  and  Mr.  Meyer. 
For  a  time  it  seemed  as  though  all  were  lost.  The  ice  kept  closing  in 
on  them  and  they  were  without  hope  of  saving  the  boats  or  their  unfor- 
tunate companion.  When  daylight  arrived  an  attempt  was  mad<?  to  res- 
cue them,  all  the  party,  except  two,  venturing  away  on  the  ice.  All  who 

650 


AN  AGONT  OF  SUSPENSE.  651 

ventured  reached  the  boat  in  safety,  and  with  much  difficulty  she  was 
taken  back,  and  Meyer  was  saved.  The  kayak  was  then  secured 
in  a  similar  manner.  The  tent  was  taken  down  and  erected  again 
on  the  center  of  what  had  then  become  a  small  piece  of  ice,  and 
a  snow  hut  was  constructed  at  its  side.  Again  the  wind  commenced 
blowing  a  gale,  and  preparations  were  made  to  take  to  the  boat. 
They  were  literally  washed  out  of  the  tent  and  snow  hut.  The 
women  and  children  were  placed  in  the  boat  without  a  dry  spot, 
and  without  so  much  as  a  piece  of  fresh  water  ice  to  eat.  The  storm 
soon  abated,  however,  and  the  tent  was  pitched  once  more.  The 
six  months  of  the  voyage  on  the  ice  were  completed  April  16.  At  that 
time  they  were  still  without  any  prospect  of  a  rescue,  and  starvation  was 
staring-  them  in  the  face.  Seals  were  in  sight  all  around  them,  but  none 
could  be  caught.  Only  a  few  days'  provisions  were  left,  and  cannibalism 
was  staring  them  in  the  face.  On  the  iSth  a  small  hole  was  discovered 
in  the  ice  some  distance  off,  from  which  a  seal  large  enough  for  three 
days'  provisions  was  secured,  and  divided  equally  among  the  party.  On 
the  2oth  a  sea  struck  the  ice,  and  carried  away  everything  which  was  loose 
upon  it.  This  was  repeated  every  fifteen  minutes,  and  it  kept  all  busy 
looking  for  a  place  which  would  enable  them  to  successfully  withstand 
the  next  shock. 

The  agony  of  suspense  continued  ten  days  longer,  and  in  that  brief 
space  were  crowded  many  perilous  adventures,  which  were  a  severe  tax 
on  the  endurance  of  the  sufferers.  An  observation  showed  that  they 
were  in  latitude  53°  57',  a  distance  of  1,875  miles  in  a  straight  line  south 
from  the  point  where  they  started.  Each  day  passed,  as  did  its  predecessor, 
the  sufferers  being  all  wet  and  hungry.  Sometimes  they  came  within  sight 
of  land,  but  were  always  driven  off  again.  Meyer  seemed  to  fare  worst 
of  all,  and  his  chances  for  surviving  more  than  a  few  days  longer  were 
considered  slender,  although  all  were  in  a  deplorable  condition,  and  had 
suffered  indescribable  tortures.  Skins  that  had  been  tanned  and  saved  for 
clothing  were  devoured  as  a  dainty  morsel,  but  even  this  did  not  last  long, 
and  on  April  26  they  found  themselves  without  a  morsel  of  food.  On 
that  day  a  bear  was  discovered  on  the  ice,  moving  toward  them.  The 


652  THE  STARS  IN  SIGHT. 

Esquimaux,  Joe  and  Hans,  took  their  guns,  and  at  once  went  to 
meet  it,  the  result  being  that  the  bear,  which  came  after  a  meal,  was 
soon  the  substance  of  one.  That  night  another  gale  sprung  up,  accom- 
panied by  heavy  rain  and  snow  squalls.  By  morning  the  ice  upon  which 
they  had  taken  refuge  had  so  wasted  away  that  it  became  evident  it 
would  not  outride  the  gale,  and  they  were  compelled  to  take  the  desper- 
ate chance  of  a  stormy  ocean,  in  a  light  boat,  insecurely  patched,  and 
overloaded.  The  danger  was  great,  but  the  boat  survived  the  storm,  its 
occupants  being  thoroughly  drenched,  without  any  chance  to  dry  them- 
selves, having  seen  neither  sun,  moon,  nor  stars,  for  a  week.  They  soon 
struck  a  sealing  ground,  where  they  found  more  seals  than  they  had  ever 
seen  before,  but  for  some  time  were  unable  to  secure  any.  They  were, 
•however,  at  last  successful,  and  had  seal  food  in  abundance.  The  ice 
soon  became  very  thick  around  them.  They  again  started  in  the  boat, 
but  were  soon  compelled  to  land  on  the  ice  again,  where  they  repaired 
the  boat,  and  dried  their  clothing  to  some  extent.  On  the  28th  of 
April  the  inevitable  gale  commenced  again,  and  all  night  they  stood  by 
the  boat,  launching  her  in  the  morning,  but  were  compelled  to  haul  her 
up  on  the  ice,  where  icebergs  threatened  her  destruction,  but  which  they 
fortunately  escaped  by  taking  to  a  floe.  The  ice  became  slacker,  and 
during  that  afternoon  they  caught  sight  of  a  steamer  ahead  of  them  and 
a  little  to  the  north.  They  hoisted  their  colors,  and  endeavored  to  cut 
her  off,  but  she  disappeared  without  seeing  them.  Wearied  with  hard- 
ship and  disappointment,  they  landed  for  the  night  on  a  small  piece  of 
ice. 

For  the  first  time  in  many  nights  they  beheld  the  stars,  and  the  new 
moon  also  made  her  appearance.  A  fire  was  kept  up  all  night  in  the 
hope  that  they  would  be  seen  by  the  steamer;  though  in  this  they  were 
disappointed.  In  the  morning  they  started  early,  and  at  daylight  again 
sighted  the  steamer  about  five  miles  off.  The  boat  was  launched,  and 
for  an  hour  they  gained  on  her,  but  in  another  hour  they  became 
fastened  in  the  ice,  and  could  proceed  no  further.  Landing  on  a  piece  of  ice 
they  hoisted  their  colors  upon  the  most  elevated  point  they  could  find,  and 
then  fired  three  rounds  from  their  rifles  and  pistols,  which  were  answered 


THE    TIGRESS. 


653 


by  three  shots  from  the  steamer.  She  was  again  seen  the  same  evening, 
and  while  looking  for  hei',  another  steamer  hove  in  sight,  on  the  other 
side. 

The  morning  of  Wednesday,  April  30,  was  thick  and  foggy,  but 
when  the  fog  broke  a  glorious  sight  met  the  eyes  of  the  drifting  party. 
A  steamer  was  seen  close  to  them,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  discovered 


CA1T.    GtO.    E.    TYSON. 


she  bore  down,  and  soon  all  were  on  board  the  staunch  little  craft 
Tigress,  ending  their  perilous  journey  in  latitude  52°  35'  north.  The 
Tigress  was  in  command  of  Capt.  Bartlett,  and  was  owned  in  New- 
foundland. Some  time  after,  the  party  was  landed  in  safety  at  St.  John's, 
Newfoundland,  and  a  few  days  later  the  tidings  of  their  rescue  reached 
the  United  States.  A  'steamer  was  dispatched  by  the  government  from 


THE  POLARIS  ABANDONED.  655 

New  York  to  bring  the  party  to   Washington,  where  they  arrived  early 
in  the  month  of  June. 

Thus  closes  what  is  probably  the  most  remarkable  voyage  in  the  his- 
tory of  navigation.  It  is  marvelous  that  nineteen  persons,  two  of  whom 
were  women,  and  five  children,  one  of  them  only  two  months  old, 
should  have  drifted  almost  two  thousand  miles,  for  one  hundred  and 
ninety-five  days  through  an  Arctic  winter  of  extraordinary  severity, 
alive,  and  in  good  health.  The  harmony  which  existed  among  the  party 
was  striking.  No  one  had  a  word  of  blame  for  any  of  his  fellows,  and 
the  men,  gathered  as  they  were  from  nearly  all  nationalities,  always 
thought  first  of  what  could  be  done  for  the  Esquimaux  women  and 
children.  In  his  testimony  before  the  commissioners,  one  of  the  men  said: 
"Capt.  Tyson  had  command  on  the  ice;  but  he  never  seemed  to  take 
much  of  a  lead.  Everything  seemed  to  go  on  very  well.  There  was 
not  a  great  deal  of  commanding;  it  was  not  wanted.  When  we  did 
not  do  as  he  directed,  it  turned  out  wrong." 

Let  us  now  return  to  that  portion  of  the  expedition  remai'iing  on  the 
Polaris  after  the  sudden  separation  on  the  I5th  of  October,  1872.  For  a 
long  time  she  had  been  leaking  so  badly  that  it  was  evident  she  could 
not  float  many  days,  and  it  was  resolved  to  abandon  her.  Everything 
which  could  possibly  be  of  use  in  a  sojourn  in  that  wilderness  of  ice  and 
snow,  was  taken  out;  The  hawsers  which  held  the  steamer  to  the  ice- 
floe parted,  and  she  drifted  away  in  a  helpless  manner.  The  lives  of 
those  on  board  were  in  great  danger.  It  was  clear  she  was  in  no  con- 
dition to  reach  port,  so  it  was  determined  to  keen|^fer  afloat  and  beach 
her  at  some  point  where  the  stores  could  be  saved.  Her  engines  were 
useless,  having  evidently  frozen  up.  Fortunately  the  ice  cracked,  and  an 
opening  was  made  through  which  a  favorable  wind  blew  her  to  the 
shore,  distant  about  twelve  miles.  The  beaching  was  successfully 
accomplished,  and  the  work  v&fearoviding  shelter  for  the  winter  was  im- 
mediately commenced  The  ship  was  stripped  of  all  her  material  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  and  soon  became  a  mere  hulk.  The  timbers  between 
deck  were  taken  out,  and  all  the  planking  and  boarding  removed.  From 
this  material  a  hut  waf>  built  and  roofed  over  with  sails.  A  party  of 


056 


BUILDING    BOATS. 


Esquimaux  made  their  appearance,  and  for  some  strips  of  iron  helped  to 
carry  the  provisions,  coal  and  stores  from  the  dismantled  Polaris  to  the 
hut.  Having  been  extremely  successful  in  their  hunting  expeditions  they 
had  a  large  surplus  of  skins  which  they  disposed  of  to  the  party,  and 
from  which  was  manufactured  warm,  though  odorous,  clothing.  During 
the  long  winter  they  suffered  little.  The  snow  which  fell  banked  up  the 
hut  and  protected  its  inmates  from  the  cold,  while  the  Polaris  formed  a 
convenient  wood  pile,  where  they  obtained  all  the  fuel  they  needed. 
Their  provisions  were  ample  for  a  time,  but  they  knew  they  would  soon 


PERILOUS   SITUATION   OF   THE  POLARIS. 


be  exhausted,  and  became  fearful  of  their  fate.  They  knew  that  for  at 
least  a  year  no  news  of  the  probable  loss  of  the  Polaris  would  reach  the 
United  States.  "  How  should  they  escape,"  was  the  great  question  pro- 
pounded by  each.  There  is  always  a  man  for  every  emergency,  and  in 
the  present  instance  Chester,  the  mate,  proved  the  hero.  Assisted  by  the 
carpenter,  Coffin,  he  set  about  building  sonre  boats,  or  scows,  from  the 
boards  which  had  been  used  as  a  lining  for  the  cabin.  The  work  was 
patiently  persevered  in,  and  as  summer  drew  near,  the  boats  were  finished. 


*         ARRIVE  AT  DUNDEE.  657 

Scurvy,  that  dreaded  disease  of  the  Arctic  regions,  made  its  appear- 
ance, but  following  the  teachings  of  the  dead  Hall,  the  men  abandoned 
the  use  of  salt  food,  lived  on  raw  walrus  liver,  and  soon  the  malady  was 
eradicated. 

A  fortunate  thing  for  the  party  was  the  unusually  early  appearance 
of  good  weather.  By  the  middle  of  June  the  ice  commenced  giving 
way,  and  at  the  earliest  possible  moment  thereafter  they  took  to  the 
boats,  and  commenced  their  voyage  in  search  of  transportation  home, 
with  the  odds  fearfully  against  their  success.  While  they  were  on  their 
way  the  Tigress  and  Juniata  were  being  fitted  out  to  go  in  search  of 
them. 

The  frailty  of  their  boats  compelled  them  to  proceed  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously. During  the  day  they  rowed  along,  and  each  night  the  boats 
were  hauled  up  on  the  ice,  where  the  only  warm  meal  for  the  day  was 
enjoyed.  Their  stove  was  a  slight  improvement  on  the  Esquimaux 
lamp,  and  their  fuel  was  oil,  while  their  wicks  were  strips  of  rope,  and 
the  fire-place  a  remnant  of  an  iron  kettle.  A  snowstorm  delayed  them 
several  days  at  Hakluyt  Island,  a  breeding  place  for  the  auks,  which 
were  at  that  time  hatching  their  young,  and  which  supplied  them  an 
abundance  of  food  limited  only  by  their  powers  of  consumption  and  the 
means  of  carrying  it  away. 

After  leaving  the  island  their  progress  through  the  slush  was  very 
slow  and  laborious.  They  skirted  the  solid  ice-floes  until  July  20,  and 
just  two  days  before  the  Tigress  left  New  York  in  search  of  them,  they 
sighted  a  vessel,  which  soon  discovered  them,  and  took  them  on  board. 
She  proved  to  be  a  Scottish  whaler,  the  Ravenscraig.  Not  having  se- 
cured a  full  cargo,  and  wishing  to  do  so  before  he  returned  home,  the 
captain  of  the  Ravenscraig  transferred  the  party  to  another  steam 
whaler,  the  Arctic,  homeward  bound,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  Sept.  17 
they  landed  at  Dundee,  Scotland.  Their  arrival  was  at  once  telegraphed 
to  London,  and  the  safety  of  the  crew  of  the  Polaris  was  announced  the 
following  morning  in  the  American  papers. 

Thus  ended  one  of  the  most  wonderful   voyages  on   record.     Out  of 

the  forty  men,  women  and  children   comorising  the  expedition,  only  one 
42 


658 


REGRETS   FOR    THE  DEATH  OF  HALL. 


death,  that  of  Capt.  Hall,  occurred,  a  most  marvelous  preservation  of  life 
amid  the  greatest  danger  to  which  mariners  were  ever  subjected.  The 
unfortunate  decease  of  Hall  in  the  infancy  of  the  enterprise  prevented  the 
accomplishment  of  such  results  as  were  desired  and  expected.  With  the 
commander  died  the  hope  and  heart  of  the  expedition,  and  no  furtlier 
attempt  at  discovery  or  original  exploration  was  made.  The  loss  of  so 
brave  and  skillful  a  navigator  may  well  be  an  occasion  for  the  deepest 
sorrow  and  regret  amongst  all  who  reverence  and  admire  American 
prowess  and  heroism. 


CHAPTER  LXXII. 

AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN      EXPEDITION  A     PIONEER      EXPEDITION THE 

ISBJORN INFERENCES THE     TEGETTHOFF ARCTIC     SCENES  — 

BESET THE    FLOE    CRACKS A    TERRIBLE    WATCH A    HOUSE    ON 

THE     ICE GREAT     DISCOVERIES FALL    OF    A    SLEDGE FRANZ 

JOSEF'S    LAND A  NECESSARY    CONCLUSION MARCH    TO    THE    SEA 

SAVED    BY    A    RUSSIAN    WHALER. 

The  failure  of  the  second  German  Expedition  of  Koklewey  directed 
the  attention  of  after  navigators  away  from  the  ice-packs  of  Greenland 
to  the  more  open  seas  of  Nova  Zembla.  Although  for  many  reasons, 
among  them  her  comparatively  inland  position  and  political  relations, 
the  government  of  Austria  had  been  prevented  from  taking  any  active 
part  in  the  great  geographical  problems  of  the  times,  an  interest  in 
polar  researches  gradually  developed  into  a  determination  to  send  her 
flag  upon  the  peaceful  quest  of  new  discoveries  in  the  frozen  north.  A 
large-hearted  nobleman  contributed  40,000  florins  to  such  an  enterprise, 
thus  not  only  confirming  but  endowing  the  resolution.  In  order,  how- 
ever, not  to  waste  a  large  amount  of  money  and  labor  upon  an  impracti- 
cable scheme,  it  was  determined  to  send  out  a  so-called  pioneer  expedition 
under  the  joint  command  of  Lieuts.  Payer  and  Weyprecht.  The  knowl- 
edge and  experience  thus  gained  induced  the  government,  as  we  shall 
see,  to  send  out  another  vessel  with  a  more  extensive  outfit  to  spend, 
as  the  need  might  be,  two  or  more  winters  in  the  Arctic  seas. 

Both  of  the  officers  in  whose  charge  the  enterprise  was  given  were 
men  of  sterling  qualities  and  undoubted  ability.  Weyprecht  had  been 
given  the  command  of  one  of  the  German  expeditions,  but  a  fit  of  sick- 
ness had  prevented  his  carrying  out  the  plan  which  made  him  the  com- 
mander of  the  party.  Lieut.  Payer  has  already  been  mentioned  as  a 

participator  in  the  German  expedition  which  returned  in  1870.      Having 

659 


6GO  A    PIONEER  EXPEDITION. 

also  been  previously  employed  in  the  survey  of  the  peaks  and  glaciers  of 
the  Alps,  he  was  the  better  prepared  to  enter  upon  a  life  of  active  ser- 
vice in  the  snows  and  hummocks  of  Nova  Zembla.  He  shines  as  the 
historian  of  the  expedition,  his  descriptions  of  Arctic  scenes  and  experi- 
ences being  excelled  only  by  those  of  Kane  in  vivid  and  graphic  character. 

The  pioneer  expedition  was  to  sail  in  June,  1871,  and  return  in  Sep- 
tember of  the  same  year.  It  did  not  aim  to  reach  high  latitudes,  nor  to 
make  great  discoveries.  The  attention  of  the  commanders  was  directed 
to  the  temperature  of  the  air  and  water,  to  the  position  and  condition  of 
the  ice,  and  to  all  observable  phenomena,  as  connected  with  the  probable 
success  of  the  expedition  proposed  for  the  next  year.  In  order  to  reduce 
expenses,  so  far  as  possible,  a  light  sailing  vessel,  the  Isbjorn,  was  char- 
tered and  manned  at  a  trifling  cost.  This  vessel  was  fifty-five  feet  long, 
seventeen  feet  broad,  and  had  a  draught  of  six  feet,  with  a  capacity  of  fifty 
tons.  She  was  owned  and  commanded  by  the  skipper,  Kjelsen,  and  had 
as  a  crew  a  harpooner,  four  sailors,  a  carpenter,  and  a  cook — all  of  whom 
were  Norwegians. 

The  voyage  of  the  Isbjorn,  though  without  thrilling  incident,  or  in- 
dependent geographical  results  of  importance,  formed  the  foundation  of 
several  important  inferences  bearing  upon  the  propriety  of  another  and 
more  pretentious  voyage.  The  following  are  the  most  important  of  the 
conclusions  reached : 

1.  The  Nova  Zembla  sea  was  not  filled  with  impenetrable  ice,  like 
that  part  of  the  ocean  contiguous  to  Greenland ;  on  the  contrary,  obser- 
vation and   report  showed  it  to  be  open  every  year,  probably  up   to  78° 
north   latitude,  and  connected  with  the  Sea  of  Kara,  which  was  also 
thought  to  be  unusually  free  from  ice. 

2.  The  time  most  favorable  for  navigation  in  this  sea  falls  at  the  end 
of  August,  and  lasts  during  the  month  of  September — this  period  being 
considered  as  embracing  the  minimum  of  ice. 

3.  The  Nova  Zembla  sea  was  found  to  be  shallow  —  geologically, 
a  connection  with,  and  a  continuation  of,  the  great  plains  of  Siberia.    In 
its  extreme  north  its  depth  was  only  100  fathoms. 

4.  The   expeditions  of   the   past   and   present  centuries,  which  at- 


THE   TEGETTHOFF.  661 

tempted  to  penetrate  by  the  northwest  coast  of  Nova  Zemhla,  failed  he- 
cause  they  were  upon  the  place  of  observation  before  the  time,  and  also, 
because  they  lacked  steam. 

5.  How  far  the  Gulf  Stream  had  any  share  or  influence  in  the  fa- 
vorable condition  for  the  navigation  of  the  Eastern  Polar  Sea,  could 
not  yet  be  positively  determined,  but  the  state  of  the  ice,  the  observations 
upon  its  temperature  and  color,  and  the  character  of  the  observed  animal 
life,  seemed  to  testify  in  favor  of  the  action  of  this  current  in  those 
regions. 

These  conclusions  seemed  to  justify  the  determination  to  push  the 
proposed  project  of  a  prolonged  voyage  of  discovery,  and  it  was  thus 
that  the  Austro-Hungarian  expedition  originated. 

It  was  the  plan  of  those  who  had  the  expedition  in  hand  to  penetrate 
east  and  north  during  the  latter  half  of  August,  when  the  north  coast  of 
the  great  island  of  Nova  Zembla  is  free  from  ice.  The  places  for  win- 
tering were  left  undetermined;  they  were  to  be  chosen  according  to  cir- 
cumstances of  need  or  progress.  In  case  of  the  loss  of  the  ship,  the  ex- 
pedition was  to  endeavor  to  reach  the  coast  of  Siberia  by  means  of  boats, 
and  then  to  gain  the  interior  by  one  of  the  gigantic  water  courses  of 
Northern  Asia.  No  connection  with  Europe  was  to  be  depended  on. 
Payer  well  says:  "The  motives  of  an  undertaking  so  long  and  labo- 
rious cannot  be  found  in  the  mere  love  of  distinction  or  adventure.  The 
object  must  not  be  the  admiration  of  men,  but  the  extension  of  the  do- 
main of  knowledge.  The  grandeur  of  one's  purpose  alone  can  support 
him,  for  otherwise  the  dreary  void  of  things  without  can  only  be  an 
image  of  the  void  within." 

The  ship  chosen  for  this  principal  voyage  was  the  TegetthofF — a 
steamship  of  220  tons  burden,  carrying  an  engine  of  loo-horse  power. 
It  was  fitted  with  provisions  and  fuel  for  two  years  and  a  half,  but  was 
overloaded  by  about  thirty  tons,  so  that  the  available  space  was  much 
taken  up.  It  was,  however,  as  Payer  says,  "  Far  more  commodious 
than  the  miserable  hole  in  which  eight  of  us  had  been  crowded  together 
on  our  Greenland  tour."  On  the  I3th  of  June,  1872,  the  expedition  set 
out  to  cross  the  North  Sea,  and  reach  the  coast  of  Norway,  where  the 


C62  ARCTIC  SCENES. 

last  repairs  were  to  be  made,  and  the  last  adieus  exchanged  with  Euro- 
pean brethren.  The  crew  numbered  twenty-four,  and  embraced  Ger- 
mans, Italians  and  Hungarians,  though  Italian  was  the  language  in 
which  the  orders  were  given. 

After  a  stop  of  some  days  on  the  Norway  coast  and  the  Loffoden 
Islands,  the  Tegetthoff  was  at  last  fairly  on  her  way  to  her  long  abode 
among  the  icebergs  of  Nova  Zembla.  The  vessel  soon  came  upon 
scenes  strange  and  unfamiliar  to  most  of  the  crew  on  board  the  Tegett- 
liofF.  As  they  came  into  the  region  of  ice  the  temperature  rapidly 
lowered.  Fogs  arose  in  the  distance  from  the  leads  in  the  ice-field,  and 
snowstorms  alternated  with  cloudless  skies  and  genial  sun.  Far  to  the 
north  was  observed  the  "  ice-blink," — a  shining  band  of  light  in  the 
horizon, — always  a  faithful  monitor  of  solid  ice,  of  whose  radiating 
power  it  is  a  portrayal.  There  is  said  to  be  no  more  solemn  sound  than 
that  made  by  the  action  upon  the  ice  of  the  elements  of  thaw  and  frost, 
and  no  pictures  more  sad  and  ghostly  than  the  procession  of  icebergs 
floating  "like  huge  white  biers  toward  the  south."  Great  falls  of  thaw- 
water  flowed  down  the  sides  of  the  icebergs,  sometimes  rending  them 
with  a  noise  as  of  thunder  by  their  constant  wearing. 

But  when  the  sun  came  out,  the  fogs  disappeared  toward  the  horizon, 
and  the  whole  scene  was  bathed  in  rosy  and  golden  splendor,  the  ice- 
crystals  flashing  like  diamonds  in  the  flood  of  light.  Occasionally  a 
whale  would  rise  out  of  the  water,  like  a  great  black  mountain,  and  then 
diving  deep  beneath  the  surface,  make  the  ocean  tumultuous  with  his 
awkward  gambols.  The  icebergs  presented  some  curious  shapes.  Some 
were  chiseled  as  if  by  a  trained  sculptor  into  fantastic  forms  of  Gothic 
architecture,  with  quaint  little  peaks  and  towers,  and  grotesque  gables. 
Others  represented  mammoth  structures  supported  by  regular  columns, 
apparently  of  solid  glass.  Rarely  were  the  regular  prisms,  so  common 
in  the  North  Atlantic,  observed  in  these  Arctic  Seas.  Such  were  some 
of  the  sights  which  greeted  our  voyagers  as  they  entered  the  Polar 
Ocean. 

They  had  sailed  over  one  ice-hole,  and  now  again  a  broad  and  lofty 
barrier  loomed  UD  before  them.  They  succeeded  in  forcing  their  way 


A  SURPRISE.  663 

into  it,  but  after  using  all  steam  of  which  their  vessel  was  capable,  thus 
found  the  Tegetthoff  actually  beset,  and  the  floes  crowding  together,  gave 
an  unbroken  field  for  miles  around.  On  Aug.  I  the  vessel  was  still 
beset,  and  there  being  a  complete  calm,  no  efforts  to  release  her  were 
availing.  They  were  now  in  latitude  74°  39',  longitude  53°.  At 
length,  on  the  2d,  they  broke  through  the  ice  which  separated  them 
from  the  open  water  around  Nova  Zembla,  and  penetrated  about  20 
miles  toward  the  coast.  A  belt  of  ice  105  miles  broad  lay  behind  them, 
while  before  them  rose  the  mountainous  coast  of  Nova  Zembla.  Sailing 
and  steaming  on  along  the  coast  of  Nova  Zembla  toward  the  north,  they 
came  on  the  9th  of  August  to  another  ice-barrier  in  latitude  about  75° 
30'  north.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  Pankratjew  Islands,  the  crew 
of  the  Tegetthoff  were  surprised  to  descry  a  ship  on  the  horizon,  which 
they  soon  recognized  as  their  old  friend,  the  IsbjOrn.  It  was  a  matter  of 
the  greater  astonishment  that  a  sailing  vessel  should  have  followed  a 
ship  which,  only  with  the  aid  of  steam,  and  even  thus  with  great  diffi- 
culty, had  been  able  to  penetrate  so  far  in  the  icy  seas  of  the  frigid  zone. 
The  object  of  their  friends  of  the  IsbjOrn  was  to  establish  a  depot  of 
provisions  at  Cape  Nassau,  at  whatever  risk  to  themselves.  The  two 
ships  remained  together  until  the  2Oth  of  August,  the  iSth  being  celebra- 
ted as  the  birthday  of  the  King  and  Emperor  of  Austria,  Francis  Joseph 
I.  On  the  2Oth  the  two  ships  parted  company,  the  Tegetthoff  steaming 
away  to  the  north,  and  the  IsbjOrn  soon  disappearing  in  the  mist  that 
arose  from  the  more  southern  water. 

The  Tegetthoff  was  now  well  toward  the  north  of  Nova  Zembla, 
the  navigable  water  was  becoming  narrower  every  day,  and  the  ice 
seemed  to  increase  in  solidity,  especially  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
coast.  On  the  evening  of  this  day,  the  2Oth,  a  barrier  of  ice  stopped  all 
further  progress.  As  usual,  the  ship  was  anchored  to  a  floe,  and  awaited 
the  parting  of  the  ice.  "Ominous,"  says  Payer,  "were  the  events  of 
that  day,  for  immediately  after  we  had  made  the  Tegetthoff  fast  to  that 
floe,  the  ice  closed  in  upon  us  from  all  sides,  and  we  became  prisoners  in 
its  grasp.  No  water  was  to  be  seen  around  us,  and  never  again  were  we 
destined  to  see  our  vessel  in  water.  From  day  to  day  we  hoped  for  the 


664  THE  FLOE  CRACKS. 

hour  of  our  deliverance.  At  first  we  expected  it  hourly,  then  daily,  then 
from  week  to  week;  then  at  the  seasons  of  the  year  and  change  of  the 
weather,  then  in  the  changes  of  new  years !  But  that  hour  never  came, 
yet  the  light  of  hope  which  supports  man  in  all  his  sufferings,  and  raises 
him  above  them  all,  never  forsook  us,  amid  all  the  depressing  influences 
of  expectations  cherished  only  to  be  disappointed." 

September  came  on  with  its  increasing  cold;  October  opened  with  its 
really  wintry  weather,  and  yet  no  signs  of  release.  The  ship,  as  firmly 
fastened  as  with  iron  bands,  drifted  northward  with  the  floe  which 
formed  its  prison.  Many  signs  indicated  the  insecurity  of  their  position. 

A  little  way  off  fields  of  ice  cracked  and  split  asunder,  and  huge 
masses  moved  about  them,  speaking  warning  volumes  of  the  terrible  pos- 
sibilities of  ice-pressure.  Thus  far  nc  harm  had  immediately  threatened 
the  Tegetthoff  and  her  crew,  but  the  I3th  of  October  was  destined  to 
bring  new  and  exciting  experiences.  To  those  among  the  crew  at  all 
inclined  to  be  superstitious,  the  number  "13"  had  a  profound  significance. 
The  committee  of  the  expedition  had  been  chosen  on  Feb.  13;  on  the 
1 3th  of  January  the  keel  of  the  Tegetthoff  had  been  laid;  she  was 
launched  on  the  I3th  of  April;  on  the  I3th  of  June  the  expedition  em- 
barked from  Bremerhaven;  on  the  I3th  of  July  from  Tromsoe.  After 
n  voyage  of  thirteen  days  they  had  arrived  in  the  ice;  and  now  on  the 
1 3th  of  October  the  temperature  marked  16°  below  zero  (Centigrade), 
and  the  ship  and  crew  were  threatened  with  most  terrible  danger.  In 
the  morning  of  that  day  as  the  men  sat  at  breakfast,  the  floe  to  which 
the  vessel  was  attached  burst  asunder  directly  below  them. ' 

"  Rushing  on  deck,"  says  Payer,  "we  discovered  that  we  were  sur- 
rounded and  squeezed  by  the  ice;  the  after  part  of  the  ship  was  already 
nipped  and  pressed,  and  the  rudder  which  was  the  first  to  encounter  its 
assault,  shook  and  groaned ;  but  as  its  great  weight  did  not  admit  of  its 
being  shipped,  we  were  content  to  lash  it  firmly.  Noise  and  confusion, 
reigned  supreme,  and  step  by  step  destruction  drew  nigh  in  the  crushing 
together  of  the  fields  of  ice.  *****  About  1 1 130  in  the  fore- 
noon, according  to  our  usual  custom,  a  portion  of  the  Bible  was  read  on 
deck,  and  this  day  quite  accidentally,  the  portion  read  was  the  history  of 


665 


666  BUILDING  A  HOUSE. 

Joshua;  but  if  in  his  day  the  sun  showed  any   inclination  to  stand  still  it 
was  more  than  could  be  said  of  the  ice  at  this  time." 

The  long  night  and  its  fearful  cold  was  before  them,  and  they  were 
drifting,  they  knew  not  whither.  Daily — with  slight  abatements,  it  is 
true — but  daily,  for  one  hundred  and  thirty  days  they  were  destined  to 
experience  those  terrible  oncomings  of  the  ice.  They  kept  everything 
in  readiness  for  retreat  from  the  ship  in  case  the  worst  came  to  the  worst. 
Their  sledges  were  loaded,  their  boats  were  manned,  and  their  clothing 
and  provisions  were  distributed.  They  slept  in  their  wet,  frozen  gar- 
ments expecting  to  be  called  up  at  any  time  and  driven  forth  on  the  ice. 
But  whither  should  they  go  ?  The  sea  about  them  was  lifting  and  grind- 
ing far  beyond  the  view.  Great  hummocks  danced  and  whirled,  over- 
turning at  times  with  tremendous  force,  while  chasms  opened  on  every 
hand,  threatening  to  swallow  up  any  sledge,  or  boat,  or  person,  venturing 
on  the  uncertain  surface.  It  was  fortunate  that  these  first  encounters 
with  the  ice  occurred  while  it  was  yet  light.  Had  these  assaults  sur- 
prised them  amid  the  polar  darkness,  confusion  and  disorder  would  have 
taken  the  place  of  the  calm  preparations  they  were  now  able  to  make. 

The  pressure  meanwhile  continuing,  it  was  thought  best  to  make 
some  kind  of  a  habitation  upon  a  firmer  floe  to  which  they  might  betake 
themselves  in  an  emergency.  Armed  and  provided  with  lanterns  they 
removed  two  boats,  one  hundred  and  fifty  logs  of  wood,  fifty  planks, 
and  a  supply  of  coal,  to  the  port  side  of  the  vessel,  and  there  built  their 
house  of  refuge.  But  even  this  hope  might  fail  them.  A  storm  might 
carry  away  the  planks  which  formed  its  roof,  fire  might  consume  the 
combustible  substance  of  its  walls;  and  at  any  time  a  fissure  might  open 
from  beneath,  and  swallow  up  the  whole  community.  So  days,  weeks, 
and  months  passed  by,  and  the  first  day  of  1873  dawned  upon  the  be- 
nighted party,  if  a  day  without  sun,  or  light,  or  warmth,  may  be  said  to 
dawn.  Every  effort  was  made  to  keep  up  the  usual  festivities  on  Christ- 
mas and  New  Year.  Wine  and  grog  were  distributed,  games  were 
played,  and  a  box  of  gifts  was  apportioned  by  lot.  On  the  i  st  of  Janu- 
ary, too,  they  allowed  the  dogs  the  long  wished-for  privilege  of  the 
cabin.  "The  poor  animals,"  says  Payer,  "were  so  dazzled  by  looking  at 


THE  DOGS  IN  THE  CABIN. 


667 


our  lamps,  that  they  almost  took  it  for  the  sun  itself;  but  by  and  by  their 
attention  was  directed  exclusively  to  the  rich  remains  of  our  dinner,  the 
sight  of  which  appeared  completely  to  satisfy  their  notions  of  the  won- 
ders of  the  cabin.  After  behaving  themselves  with  great  propriety,  they 
again  quietly  withdrew,  all  except  'Jubinal,'  who  appeared  to  be  indig- 
nant at  the  deceitfulness  of  our  conduct,  inasmuch  as  we  had  allowed 
him  to  starve  so  long  on  dried  horseflesh  and  on  crushed  bear's  head, 


TRANSPORTING    WOOD    FOR    THE   HOUSE, 


while  we  reveled  in  luxury.  He  accordingly  made  his  way  into  Lieut. 
Brosch's  cabin,  where,  discovering  a  mountain  of  macaroni,  he  immedi- 
ately attacked  it,  and  warned  us  off  from  every  attempt  to  rescue  it,  by 
growling  fiercely  till  he  had  finished  it.  'Sumbu,'  however,  with  much 
levity,  suffered  himself  to  be  made  drunk  by  the  sailors  with  rum,  and 
everything  which  he  had  scraped  together  for  weeks  and  buried  in  the 


668  AN   UNEXPECTED  DISCOVERT. 

snow  and  so   carefully  watched,  was  stolen  from   him  by  other  dogs  in 
one  night." 

The  winter  of  1872-3  slowly  crept  away,  and  the  sun,  by  his  reap- 
pearance, gave  promise  of  summer.  Summer  came,  but  the  months  of 
May  and  June,  in  temperate  climates  the  glad  harbingers  of  growth  and 
life,  brought  no  relief  to  the  waiting  travelers.  "  Nichts  als  Eis"  (noth- 
ing but  ice),  was  the  oft-repeated  answer  of  those  who  eagerly  scanned 
the  horizon  in  every  direction.  The  second  summer  of  the  voyage  had 
now  come  and  nearly  gone.  It  had  begun  with  promise  of  liberation, 
but  the  time  of  greatest  heat  had  gone  by,  and  no  sign  of  the  predicted 
release  had  come.  The  idea  of  discoveries  had  utterly  passed  out  of  the 
minds  of  the  explorers,  and  yet  discoveries  beyond  their  utmost  expecta- 
tions were  awaiting  them. 

Aug.  30  brought  them  in  latitude  nearly  80°,  a  joyful  surprise.  "At 
midday,"  says  Payer,  "  as  we  were  leaning  on  the  bulwarks  of  the  ship 
and  scanning  the  gliding  mists,  through  which  the  rays  of  the  sun  broke 
ever  and  anon,  a  wall  of  mist,  lifting  itself  up  suddenly,  revealed  to  us 
afar  off  in  the  northwest  the  outlines  of  bold  rocks,  which  in  a  few  min- 
utes seemed  to  grow  into  a  radiant  Alpine  land.  At  first  we  all  stood 
transfixed,  and  hardly  believing  what  we  saw.  Then,  carried  away  by 
the  reality  of  our  good  fortune,  we  burst  forth  into  shouts  of  joy — 'Land, 
land,  land  at  last!'  *  *  *  For  thousands  of  years  this  land  had  lain 
buried  from  the  knowledge  of  men,  and  now  its  discovery  had  fallen  into 
the  lap  of  a  small  band,  themselves  almost  lost  to  the  world,  who,  far 
from  their  home,  remembered  the  homage  due  to  their  sovereign,  and 
gave  to  the  newly-discovered  territory  the  name,  Kaiser  Franz-Josefs 
land." 

The  fall  and  winter  of  the  present  year  were  occupied  in  determining 
more  fully  the  extent  and  configuration  of  the  island  or  Arctic  continent 
just  found.  This  work  was  conducted  chiefly  by  means  of  sledge-jour- 
neys to  and  over  the  rough  surface  of  the  country  which  they  had  digni- 
fied with  the  name  of  their  Emperor.  Space  forbids  to  give  more  than 
a  brief  account  of  this  exploration,  though  the  dangers  and  adventures 
with  which  it  was  attended  are  equaled  by  those  of  few  Arctic  explorers. 


FALL   OF  A  SLEDGE.  669 

One  experience  in  the  fissures  of  what  was  named  Middendorf  Glacier  is 
especially  worthy  of  note. 

The  party  after  a  brief  halt  were  just  setting  out  again,  when  the 
snow  gave  way  beneath  the  sledge-runners,  and  driver,  dogs,  and  vehicle, 
were  precipitated  into  some  unknown  depth  below.  Payer  first  heard 
the  confused  shouting  of  the  man,  mingled  with  the  barking  and  howl- 
ing of  the  dogs  from  the  bottom  of  the  crevasse,  many  feet  below.  "  All 
this,"  says  he,  "  was  the  impression  of  a  moment,  while  I  felt  myself 
dragged  backward  by  the  rope.  Staggering  back,  and  seeing  the  dark 
abyss  beneath  me,  I  could  not  doubt  that  I  should  be  precipitated  into  it 
the  next  instant.  A  wonderful  providence  arrested  the  fall  of  the  sledge; 
at  a  depth  of  about  thirty  feet  it  struck  just  between  the  sides  of  the 
crevasse,  just  as  I  was  being  dragged  to  the  abyss  by  its  weight.  The 
sledge  having  jammed  itself  in,  I  lay  on  my  stomach  close  to  the  awful 
brink,  the  rope  which  attached  me  to  the  sledge  tightly  strained,  and 
cutting  deeply  into  the  snow." 

By  incredible  tact  and  perseverance  Payer  at  last  freed  himself  from 
the  sledge,  and  set  about  recovet'ing  the  store  of  lost  provisions,  the 
manuscripts,  which  could  never  be  replaced,  and  above  all,  about  the  res- 
cue of  the  fallen  comrade  who  was  the  "  pride  and  gem  of  the  party.'' 
Being  the  only  one  of  the  party  accustomed  to  glaciers,  Payer  was  of 
necessity  almost  alone  in  his  exertions.  Rushing  back  to  the  tent  where 
most  of  the  men  had  remained,  he  hurriedly  explained  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  all  hastened  to  the  spot  of  the  disaster,  leaving  the  tent  and 
stores  unwatched.  They  found  their  poor  comrade  nearly  dead  from  the 
cold,  but  sufficiently  conscious  to  be  pulled  to  the  top  of  the  ice-cliff  over 
which  he  had  fallen.  The  dogs  were  found  uninjured  and  quietly  sleep- 
ing near  him,  but  celebrated  their  release  by  joyful  demonstrations.  "  It 
was  a  noble  proof,"  continues  Payer,  "  how  duty  and  discipline  assert 
themselves  even  in  such  situations,  that  the  first  word  of  the  sailor  saved 
from  being  frozen  to  death,  was  not  a  complaint,  but  thanks,  accompanied 
with  a  request  that  I  would  pardon  him  if  he,  in  order  to  save  himself 
from  being  frozen,  had  ventured  to  drink  a  portion  of  the  rum  which 
had  fallen  down  in  its  case  with  the  sledge  to  his  ledge  of  snow." 


670 


FALL  OF  A  SLEDGE. 


A   NECESSART  CONCLUSION.  C71 

Franz  Josef's  Land  was  found  to  be  almost  as  large  as  Spitzbergen, 
and  to  consist  of  two  main  masses — Wilczek  Land  on  the  east,  and 
Zichy  Land  on  the  west — between  which  runs  a  broad  stretch  of  sea,  of 
ice,  called  Austria  Sound.  At  the  time  of  this  exploration  the  sound  was 
covered  with  ice  for  the  most  part  not  more  than  a  year  in  growth, 
crossed  in  many  places  by  fissures,  and  piled  up  with  huge  hummocks. 
The  fact  that  here  many  icebergs  were  seen,  which  had  not  been  the  case 
in  the  Nova  Zembla  seas,  warranted  the  supposition  that  they  floated 
away  from  the  ice-packs  in  a  northerly  direction.  The  map  made  by  the 
present  expedition  was  designed  and  constructed  from  fifteen  observa- 
tions of  latitude,  from  drawings  made  on  the  spot,  and  from  a  system  of 
triangulation  planned  and  perfected  by  Weyprecht,  the  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  expedition.  In  the  northernmost  regions  surveyed,  the  re- 
sults made  no  pretensions  to  complete  exactness.  Though  the  discoveries 
made  were  likely  never  to  become  important  to  the  material  interests  of 
mankind,  the  land  and  its  parts  were  named  after  the  chief  patrons  of  the 
expedition  as  the  most  fitting  way  in  which  the  gratitude  of  the  party 
could  be  shown. 

The  experience  of  two  winters  in  the  ice  had  forced  the  party  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  liberation  of  the  TegetthofF  was  too  remote  for  them 
to  hope  to  save  themselves  by  navigating  the  path  over  which  they  had 
come  by  its  aid.  Her  abandonment  therefore  was  universally  agreed  on, 
and  the  2Oth  of  May,  the  very  day  on  which,  in  1854,  Kane  had  left  the 
Advance  on  the  coast  of  Greenland,  was  chosen  for  the  first  steps  of 
their  present  enterprise.  The  day  was  hailed  with  joy  by  all,  for  while 
the  coming  days  were  to  be  darkened  with  much  danger  and  many  hard- 
ships, even  these  were  preferable  to  the  life  of  monotony  and  inaction  to 
which  they  had  been  reduced  on  board  the  Tegetthoff.  It  was,  however, 
only  with  the  deepest  emotion  that  they  could  part  with  the  spot  which 
had  been  their  home  so  long.  Their  stock  of  instruments,  which  had 
done  them  such  good  service,  together  with  the  little  museum,  which  all 
had  taken  so  much  pride  in  enlarging,  had  to  be  abandoned,  as  the  jour- 
ney southward  to  the  open  sea  could  only  be  made  by  relieving  the  men 
and  dogs  of  everything  except  absolute  essentials.  The  pictures  of 


672  A   JOYFUL  DAT. 

friends  and  acquaintances  were  hung  up  on  the  frozen  walls  of  the  land 
for  the  thought  of  their  perishing  with  the  inevitable  destruction  of  the 
ship,  was  unbearable. 

Boats,  sledges,  everything  that  could  be  taken,  were  at  last  removed, 
and  the  march  begun.  For  the  first  few  days  the  burdens  had  to  be 
dragged  over  hummocks  and  through  fissures,  without  even  the  variety 
of  water  upon  which  to  launch  the  boats.  In  a  short  time,  however, 
narrow  leads  appeared,  produced  by  the  advancing  summer  and  a  fortu- 
nate combination  of  other  circumstances,  into  which  the  boats  were  placed, 
and  a  sort  of  doubtful  navigation  was  begun.  But  these  leads  were 
limited,  and  great  masses  of  ice  must  be  continually  thrust  out  of  the 
way.  Moreover,  a  south  wind  arose  which  tended  to  destroy  what  prog- 
ress they  had  been  able  to  make,  so  that  after  a  lapse  of  nearly  two 
months  of  indescribable  efforts,  the  distance  between  them  and  the  ship 
was  not  more  than  nine  English  miles.  Another  month,  however, 
gave  promise  of  better  things.  The  leads  became  of  greater  length;  the 
swell  of  the  ocean  became  perceptibly  greater;  and  the  thickness  and 
extent  of  the  ice  was  evidently  rapidly  diminishing.  It  was  a  joyful  day 
for  our  brave  explorers  when,  on  the  I5th  of  August,  in  latitude  77°  49', 
they  bade  farewell  to  the  frozen  ocean,  and  launched  their  barks  on  the 
more  genial  waters  of  the  Nova  Zembla  Sea.  There  being  no  room  for 
the  dogs  in  the  boats,  nor  other  possible  means  of  conveying  them,  it 
was  thought  humane  to  kill  them,  which  was  done  to  the  infinite  sorrow 
of  the  entire  party. 

The  problem  of  their  rescue  was  now  simple  compared  with  the  diffi- 
culties which  they  had  just  successfully  combated.  They  shaped  their 
course  by  Barentz  Islands,  Cape  Nassau,  where  the  store  of  provisions 
had  been  deposited,  and  the  Admiralty  Peninsula,  hoping  that  they 
might  in  this  latitude  look  for  whalers  or  other  fishermen.  It  was  not, 
however,  until  they  had  reached  and  passed  the  Admiralty  Peninsula,  on 
the  west  coast  of  Nova  Zembla,  and  were  nearing  Ganse  Land  toward 
its  southern  border,  that  the  welcome  sight  of  a  ship  greeted  their  long- 
ing eyes.  Here  they  met  on  the  24th  of  August  two  Russian  vessels 
cruising  for  fish  and  reindeer  on  the  shores  of  Nova  Zembla.  The  ser- 


EMBARK  FOR  HAMBURG- 


673 


vices  of  one  of  these  vessels  were  readily  engaged,  and  the  long-suffering 
crew  were  soon  on  their  way  to  Norway,  after  a  ninety-six  days'  experi- 
ence in  the  open  air.  On  the  3d  of  September  they  landed  at  Vardo,  on 
the  Norwegian  coast,  and  on  the  5th  embarked  for  Hamburg,  where 
they  arrived  amid  the  congratulations  and  applause  of  thousands  of 
friends  and  countrymen. 


CHAPTER    LXXIII. 

ENGLISH     EXPEDITION     UNDER     NARES THE    ALERT    AND    DISCOVERY 

— BORING    THROUGH    THE    PACK THE    ELYSIUM    OF    THE    ARCTIC 

REGIONS MAXIM      OF     ROSS THE     DISCOVERY      FINDS      WINTER 

QUARTERS THE    SEA    OF    ANCIENT    ICE WINTER    AMUSEMENTS 

DEATH    FROM    EXPOSURE EXEMPTION    OF    OFFICERS    FROM    DIS- 
EASE—  MARKHAM'S   SLEDGE-JOURNEY  —  REACHES  THE  HIGHEST 

POINT   EVER  ATTAINED PAL^EOCRYSTIC    ICE NARES  CONCLUDES 

TO    RETURN    TO    ENGLAND EPITAPH    ON    THE     GRAVE    OF    HALL. 

One  of  the  recurring  intervals  of  indifference  or  hopelessness  in  rela- 
tion to  Arctic  exploration  had  succeeded  the  great  activity  of  the  Frank- 
lin s'earch  voyages  in  England.  The  field  was  left  to  German,  Austrian, 
Swedish  and  American  navigators,  until  England  was  in  danger  of  los- 
ing the  prestige  acquired  in  that  line  by  many  generations  of  brave  mar- 
iners, and  at  great  expense  of  life,  energy,  and  money.  Other  nations, 
stepping  in  at  the  eleventh  hour,  had  actually  won  the  laurels  of  more 
northern  land  discovery,  than  had  been  made  by  the  representatives  of 
the  nation  whose  previous  efforts  had  largely  contributed  to  make  such 
success  practicable.  A  generous  and  worthy  rivalry  now  seized  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  under  the  inspiration  of  Admiral  Sherard 
Osborn,  himself  an  Arctic  navigator,  as  will  be  remembered;  Sir  Rod- 
erick I.  Murchison,  the  eminent  geologist  and  geographer,  and  president 
of  the  society,  who,  however,  died  in  1871,  before  definite  action  had 
been  taken;  Lady  Franklin,  whose  interest  in  Arctic  exploration  never 
flagged  up  to  her  last  illness  and  death  in  1875,  and  other  influential 
persons. 

The  government  gave  its  sanction  to  the  movement,  and  an  expedi- 
tion was  duly  organized  and  commissioned.  It  consisted  of  two  vessels, 

the  Alert  and  Discovery.     The  former  was  a  steam  sloop  of  the  royal 

674 


THE  ELTSIUM  OF  THE  ARCTIC  REGIONS.  675 

navy,  of  75-1  tons  burden,  and  100  horse  power;  and  was  now  specially 
strengthened  for  her  new  destiny.  The  Discovery  had  been  a  steam 
whaler,  and  was  purchased  by  the  government  of  her  Dundee  owners, 
and  fitted  out  for  this  voyage.  The  commander  of  the  expedition  and  of 
the  Alert  was  Captain,  afterward  Sir  George  Nares,  a  man  of  con- 
siderable experience,  and  who  had  been  in  the  Arctic  service.  As  chief 
assistant  he  had  Commander  A.  H.  Mai^kham,  who  also  had  seen  Arctic 
lifej  and  Capt.  H.  F.  Stephenson,  as  immediate  commander  of  the 
Discovery.  The  officers  and  men  of  both  vessels  numbered  120,  many 
of  whom  had  seen  Arctic  service  as  whalers  or  explorers.  The  Valorous 
accompanied  them  to  Disco  Island  as  store-ship,  and  having  there  trans- 
ferred her  surplus  stores  to  the  other  two,  she  left  for  home  July  16, 
1875.  On  the  voyage  to  Disco  they  had  encountered  much  loose  ice  off 
Cape  Farewell,  and  many  heavy  gales,  in  which  they  lost  two  of  their 
whale  boats. 

Leaving  Disco  on  the  22d,  the  Alert  and  Discovery  steamed  across 
Baffin's  Bay  to  the  northwest,  instead  of  hugging  the  Greenland  shore 
through  Melville  Bay,  and  struck  the  great  central  ice-pack  July  24. 
In  thirty-four  hours  they  had  succeeded  in  boring  through  the  pack  into 
open  water— a  feat  never  before  performed,  and  which  the  Greenland- 
masters  declared  "  would  ne'er  be  credited  at  Peterhead."  It  helped  to 
prove  the  superiority  of  steam-power  for  Arctic  navigation.  Reaching 
the  vicinity  of  Cape  York  many  icebergs  were  seen  aground  and  closely 
crowded,  indicating  that  they  would  perhaps  not  have  fared  so  well  had 
they  taken  the  old  route  through  Melville  Bay,  and  around  that  cape. 
Pushing  north  they  soon  arrived  at  Carey  Islands,  where  they  landed, 
and  established  a  depot  of  supplies,  depositing  the  usual  record  under  a 
cairn.  Passing  Littleton  Island,  where  they  left  a  record,  and  Port 
Foulke,  which  Nares  styles  "  The  Elysium  of  the  Arctic  regions,"  they 
made  for  Cape  Sabine,  the  easternmost  promontory  of  the  Ellesmere 
Land  of  Inglefield,  in  78°  45'.  Off  that  point,  July  30,  they  saw  the 
ice  in  great  quantities,  but  in  the  middle  of  Smith's  Sound  it  con- 
sisted of  detached  floes,  five  or  six  feet  thick,  with  occasionally  an  old 
floe  of  twice  that  thickness,  but  much  decayed,  and  presenting  no  serious 


C76  LADT  FRANKLIN  SOUND. 

obstacle  to  their  onward  progress.  At  length,  however,  their,  way  was 
blocked  by  impenetrable  ice,  and  they  were  detained  three  days  in  Payer 
Harbor,  awaiting  a  practicable  opening.  Several  fruitless  attempts  were 
made  to  bore  through,  but  at  last  success  crowned  their  efforts,  and  on 
the  4th  of  August  they  forced  their  way  through  twenty  miles  of  Hayes 
Sound.  Soon,  however,  they  got  entangled  in  the  pack,  making  but 
little  headway,  and  finally  were  completely  beset,  barely  escaping  col- 
lision with  a  huge  iceberg,  and  finding  it  necessary  to  unship  their  rud- 
ders. With  great  labor,  arid  amid  many  dangers  for  three  weeks  longer 
in  Kennedy  Channel,  having  constant  occasion  to  apply  the  advice  of  Sir 
John  Ross — "Never  to  lose  sight  of  the  two  words  caution  and  patience"- 
they  reached  Cape  Lieber,  Hayes'  limit  of  1860,  on  the  24th  of  August, 
and  entered  Lady  Franklin  Sound. 

Here  in  the  shelter  of  an  island  was  found  a  good  harbor,  perfectly 
suitable  for  winter  quarters;  and  to  enhance  their  good  fortune,  they  saw 
on  the  next  morning  a  herd  of  nine  musk-oxen  peacefully  cropping  the 
fresh  and  short-lived  Arctic  vegetation,  all  of  which  were  killed,  form- 
ing a  very  seasonable  addition  to  their  stores,  nothwithstanding  the  flavor 
"was  so  very  musk."  Before  the  loth  of  October  they  had  shot  thirty- 
two  of  them,  and  had  at  one  time  over  3,000  pounds  of  their  frozen  flesh 
hanging  up.  The  Discovery  was  left  here,  remaining  frozen  in  for  10^ 
months.  Their  first  care  was  to  take  ashore  and  deposit  provisions  for 
'six  months  to  guard  against  the  contingency  of  disaster  to  the  ship  by 
fire  or  otherwise  during  her  detention.  Snow-walls  were  then  con- 
structed around  her,  after  the  now  well-known  type,  but  heavier  than 
usual,  being  made  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  thick.  These  precautions,  with 
the  ordinary  provisions  for  heat,  kept  the  temperature  of  the  lower  deck 
at  48°  to  56°,  throughout  the  winter.  The  period  pf  darkness,  that'  is 
absence  of  sunlight,  set  in  on  the  loth  of  October,  and  lasted  135  days. 

Leaving  Stephenson  and  his  men  busy  with  their  preparations  for 
winter,  Nares  pushed  on  in  the  Alert,  and  on  the  3ist  of  August  reached 
latitude  82°  24',  in  Robeson  Channel — the  highest  point  ever  attained 
by  ship,  and  only  21'  short  of  Parry's  sledge  limit,  82°  45'  north  of 
Spitzbergen,  In  this  channel  the  sea  ice  approached  the  land  ice  so  close 


AROUND  CAPE   JOSEPH  HENRT.  677 

as  to  leave  but  a  narrow  water  way,  and  off  Cape  Sheridan  they  closed 
together,  completely  locking  the  northern  entrance,  or  exit  into  the  Polar 
Sea.  Along  the  coast  a  jagged  parapet  of  ice  fringed  the  shelving 
ledges,  rising  to  an  average  height  of  about  twenty  feet,  interrupted  at 
intervals  by  ravines.  Having  rounded  the  northeast  point  of  Grant 
Land,  he  found  himself  where  Hayes  had  been  so  anxious  to  reach,  but 
instead  of  the  Open  Polar  Sea  of  that  navigator  he  found  the  "  Sea  of 
'Ancient  Ice,"  impenetrable  and  forbidding.  The  ice  was  of  unusual  age 
and  thickness;  for  instead  of  the  five  or  six  feet  of  the  common  floe,  and 
the  ten  or  twelve  of  the  old  floes  hitherto  encountered,  it  presented  a 
front  of  fifteen  or  more  feet  above  water,  and  a  total  of  eighty  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet — resembling  a  connected  chain  of  low  icebergs 
rather  than  the  floes  or  packs  of  more  southern  latitudes.  In  the  shelter 
of  such  ice,  where  the  submerged  portion,  extending  to  the  land,  left  a 
sufficient  water  way  for  the  ship,  Nares  found  safe  though  not  inviting 
winter  quarters;  and  here  they  were  soon  frozen  in  by  the  newly  formed 
shore  ice. 

While  most  of  the  ship's  company  were  briefly  engaged  in  the  usual 
labors  for  securing  the  safety  of  the  ship  and  stores,  Lieut.  P.  Aldrich, 
accompanied  by  Adam  Ayles,  set  out  Sept.  21,  with  two  dog-sledges — 
dogs  and  sledges  for  the  expedition  had  been  secured  at  Disco — under 
orders  to  pioneer  a  route  round  Cape  Joseph  Henry,  on  the  north  side  of 
Grant  Land,  for  a  larger  party  which  was  to  follow.  Four  days  later, 
Commander  Markham,  with  Lieuts.  A.  A.  C.  Parr  and  W.  H.  May, 
started  with  three  sledges  to  establish  a  depot  of  provisions  as  far  to  the 
northwestward  as  would  be  found  practicable.  On  the  2yth  Aldrich  and 
Ayles,  from  a  mountain  top  2000  feet  high,  in  latitude  82°  48',  descried 
the  wide-extending  land  to  the  northwestward  as  far  as  83°  7',  with 
lofty  mountains  to  the  south.  They  returned  to  the  Alert  on  the  5th  of 
October,  after  an  absence  of  fourteen  days.  A  week  later  they  entered 
on  the  Arctic  night,  the  sun  having  disappeared  below  the  horizon;  and 
on  the  1 4th  Markham  returned  after  a  trip  of  nineteen  days,  having 
established  the  depot  at  82°  44',  and  tracing  the  coast  two  miles  farther 
to  what  might  be  regarded  as  the  exact  latitude  reached  by  Parry,  else- 


678  ROYAL  ARCTIC   THEATER. 

where,  nearly  half  a  century  before.  Markham's  party  comprised 
twenty-one  men  and  three  officers,  of  whom  seven  men  and  one  officer 
returned  badly  frost-bitten,  three  so  severely  as  to  require  amputation, 
the  thermometer  ranging  through  the  trip  from  15°  to  22°  below  zero. 
Meanwhile,  from  the  2d  to  the  12th,  Lieut.  Rawson  had  made  an  un- 
successful attempt  to  open  communication  with  Capt.  Stephenson  in  Lady 
Franklin  Sound.  The  ice  was  found  impassable  within  nine  miles  of  the 
ship,  being  rotten  and  unsafe  in  the  channel,  and  piled  up  thirty  feet  high 
on  the  shore,  while  the  deep  snowdrifts  in  the  ravines  made  the  overland 
route  equally  impracticable. 

The  usual  efforts  to  amuse  and  instruct  the  ship's  company  were 
inaugurated  under  the  auspices  of  the  commander,  who  says  that  of  fifty- 
five  men  who  composed  the  crew  of  the  Alert,  only  two  were  found  who 
could  not  read.  Besides  the  school  for  instruction  there  were  lectures, 
readings,  concerts,  and  theatrical  representations,  Thursday  of  each 
week  being  devoted  to  these  entertainments.  The  first  theatrical  per- 
formance was  given  on  the  iSth  of  November^  and  was  "thus  formally 
announced:  "  The  Royal  Arctic  Theatre  will  be  opened  on  Thursday 
next,  the  iSth  inst.,  by  the  powerful  Dramatic  Company  of  the  Hyper- 
boreans, under  the  distinguished  patronage  of  Capt.  Nares,  the  members 
of  the  Arctic  Exploring  Expedition,  and  all  the  nobility  and  gentry  of 
the  neighborhood."  On  the  Discovery  similar  entertainments  were 
given,  its  theater  being  opened  Dec.  i,  and  the  plays  being  rendered  al- 
ternately by  officers  and  men.  Each  vessel  had  a  small  printing  press 
which  was  used  for  issuing  programmes  and  bills  of  fare  on  occasions  of 
great  dinners.  On  the  anniversary  of  the  Gunpowder  Plot,  Nov.  5^  they 
had  a  bonfire  on  the  ice,  and  burnt  Guy  Fawkes  in  the  approved  style. 
Christmas  was  thus  observed:  "First  of  all,  in  the  morning  we  have 
Christmas  waits  in  the  usual  manner.  A  sergeant  of  marines,  the  chief 
boatswain's  mate,  and  three  others,  went  around  the  ship  singing  Christ- 
mas carols  suited  to  the  occasion,  and  made  a  special  stay  outside  the  cap- 
tain's cabin.  On  the  lower  deck  in  the  forenoon  there  were  prayers,  and 
after  that  captain  and  officers  visited  the  mess  in  the  lower  deck,  tasted 
the*  pudding,  inspected  the  decorations  which  had  been  made,  and  so  on. 


SUCCESSFUL  HUNTING.  679 

Then  the  boxes  of  presents  by  friends  in  England  were  brought  out, 
the  name  of  him  for  whom  it  was  intended  having  been  already  fixed  to 
each  box,  and  the  presents  were  then  distributed  by  the  captain.  Ring- 
ing cheers,  which  sounded  strange  enough  in  that  lone  place,  were  given 
for  the  donors,  some  of  them  very  dear  indeed  to  the  men  who  were  so 
far  away  from  their  homes.  Cheers  were  also  given  for  the  captain,  and 
for  absent  comrades  on  the  Alert.  A  choir  was  then  formed,  and  "  The 
Roast  Beef  of  Old  England  "  had  its  virtues  praised  again.  The  men 
had  their  dinner  at  12  o'clock,  and  the  officers  dined  together  at  5. 

An  observatory  had  been  erected  on  Discovery  Bay;  and  careful 
notes  of  the  changes  of  temperature  were  kept  on  both  ships.  One  day 
carty  in  March,  the  thermometer  on  the  Alert  showed  73°  7',  and  on 
the  Discovery  72°  30'  below  zero;  while  on  the  former  a  mean  tempera- 
ture of  66°  29'  for  five  days  and  nine  hours,  and  on  the  latter,  of  58° 
17'  for  seven  consecutive  days,  was  reached.  At  one  time  the  variation 
ranged  60°  in  a  few  hours.  In  February  the  mercury  was  frozen  for 
fifteen  days  in-  succession;  and  again,  later  in  the  season,  for  about  the 
same  length  of  time.  Notwithstanding  the  cold,  which  was  not  only  a 
direct  hardship,  but  also  often  rendered  their  breech-loading  guns  tem- 
porarily useless,  the  hunting  parties  were  quite  successful  in  both  camps. 
Those  of  the  Alert  secured  six  musk-oxen,  twenty  hares,  seventy  geese, 
twenty-six  ducks,  ten  ptarmigans,  and  three  foxes,  while  the  men  of  the 
Discovery  had  still  better  success  in  musk-oxen  and  hares,  and  also  a 
piece  of  special  good  fortune  in  killing  seven  seals.  They  had,  moreover, 
brought  from  England  fish,  beef,  and  mutton,  which  they  hung  up  on 
the  masts,  where  they  were  soon  frozen  hard,  and  perfectly  preserved. 
They  had  also  brought  some  sheep,  which  they  killed  from  time  to  time. 
"  The  sun  re-appeared  on  the  last  day  of  February  From  November 
till  February,  with  the  exception  of  the  starlight  and  occasional  moon- 
light, we  had  been  in  darkness,"  says  the  chaplain,  "not  by  any  means 
dense,  but  sufficiently  murky  to  excuse  one  for  passing  by  a  friend  with- 
out knowing  him."  And  now  the  time  for  sledge-exploration  was  near 
at  hand;  and  it  became  important  to  establish  an  understanding  between 
the  two  ships,  so  as  to  secure  concert  of  action.  Accordingly,  on  the  1 2th 


680  BEAUMONT^S   JOURNEY. 

of  March,    1876,    sub-lieutenant   Egerton  and   Lieut.    Rawson,   accom- 
panied  by  Christian  Petersen,  interpreter,  were   dispatched  to  attempt 
once  more  to  open  communication  with  Capt.   Stephenson.     Four  days 
later  they  returned  to   the  Alert,  Petersen   having  completely   broken 
clown.     His  hands  were  paralyzed,  and  his  feet  so  badly  frozen  as  to  re- 
quire amputation,  which,  however,  did    not  save   him,  ast  despite  all  the 
care  and  attention  of  Dr.  Golan,  the  ship's  surgeon,  he  died  some   three 
months  later.     Egerton   and  Rawson,  accompanied  by  two  seamen,  re- 
sumed  the  attempt,  and  were   successful;  and   communication  as  well  as 
co-operation  between  the  sledge-parties  of  both  vessels  were  established. 
Lieut.  Beaumont  of  the  Discovery,  in  command  of  eight  men,  crossed 
Robeson  Channel  with  great  difficulty   over  the  broken  and  moving  ice, 
and  explored  the  Greenland  coast  to  latitude  82°  18'.     Scurvy  broke  out 
among  his  men,  and  two  died  before  reaching  Polaris  Bay.     Beaumont 
pushed  on  to  his  limit,  but  four  others  succumbed  soon  after  turning  their 
faces  to  the  ships.     The  three  that  were  not  disabled   hauled   the   sick 
with  the  provisions  on    the  single  sledge,  always   making  the  journey 
twice,  and   often  thrice,  over  the  rough,  hummocky  ice.     "The  gallant 
band,"  says  Nares,  "struggled    manfully  onward,  thankful  if  they  made 
one  mile  a  day,  but  never  losing  heart."     While   they  were  thus  labor- 
ing on  in  the  heart  of  a  frozen  desert,  a  search  party  consisting  of  Lieut. 
Rawson,  Dr.   Coppinger    and   Hans,  the   Esquimaux,  was  dispatched; 
and  had  the  good  fortune  to  fall  in  with  them  when  the  remaining  as- 
sistants of  Beaumont  were   on   the  point  of  also  succumbing  to  the  dis- 
ease.    The  three  officers  had  now  for  a  time  a  monopoly  of  the  hauling 
business,  but  no  more  lives   were  lost,  and  the  party  reached  their  depot 
of  provisions    on  Polaris    Bay,    where  the  well  succeeded  in    shooting 
game,  and  the  invalids  soon  recruited.     Including  a  lengthened   stay   at 
that  point,  they  were  absent  from  the  ship  one   hundred  and  thirty-two 
days.      Lieut.  Archer  surveyed  Lady  Franklin   Sound,  and    found   its 
head,  sixty-five  miles  inland,  surrounded  by   lofty  mountains  and  glacier- 
filled  valleys.     Lieut.  Fulford  and  Dr.   Coppinger  explored   Petermann 
Fiord  or  Bay,  which  also  was  found  to  terminate  in  a  steep  glacier-front. 
Some  good  coal  was  found  on  Discovery   Bay.     These   local  trips  and 


EXEMPTION  OF  OFFICERS  FROM  DISEASE.  681 

Beaumont's  Greenland  Division  of  Arctic  exploration  constituted  the 
Discovery's  quota;  the  Alert's  men  took  charge  of  the  Western  and 
Northern  Divisions.  Lieut.  Aldrich,  with  seven  men,  explored  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  to  the  west  side  of  Grant  Land,  finding  nothing 
in  sight  beyond  but  the  wide-expanded  sea.  On  his  return,  when  met 
by  a  relief  party  under  Lieut.  May,  only  one  of  his  men  was  in  a  condi- 
tion to  assist  in  hauling  four  disabled  comrades,  while  the  other  two  feebly 
struggled  along  by  the  side  of  the  sledge. 


DISCOVERY   BAY. 

It  was  noticeable  that  the  officers  in  all  these  sledge-journeys  escaped 
the  scurvy,  while  nearly  all  the  men  were  attacked.  Capt.  Nares  was 
severely  criticised,  on  the  return  of  the  expedition  to  England,  for 
alleged  neglect  of  sanitary  precautions,  in  failing  to  provide  liberal 
supplies  of  anti-scorbutic  remedies  on  these  trips ;  but  it  was  learned  that 
the  same  difference  in  health  between  officers  and  men,  was  manifest  on 
the  vessels.  Men  who  had  not  been  detailed  for  any  of  these  expe- 


682  MARKHAM'S   SLEDGE-JOURNET. 

ditions,  but  had  all  along  been  within  reach  of  hygienic,  medical,  and 
anti-scorbutic  treatment,  were  also  attacked,  there  being  no  less  than 
thirty-six  cases  at  one  time  on  the  Alert.  It  was  therefore  probably  due 
to  the  generally  superior  physical  condition  and  the  greater  self-helpful- 
ness of  the  officers,  that  the  disparity  was  due;  and  the  same  phenomenon 
may  be  noticed  in  any  epidemic.  The  better-kept  men,  intellectually, 
morally  and  physically,  always  show  the  smallest  percentage  of  deaths. 

MARKHAM'S    SLEDGE-JOURNEY. 

The  great  exploring  feat  of  the  expedition  was  performed  by 
Commander  Markham's  party.  Accompanied  by  Lieut.  Parr,  Dr.  Moss, 
and  Mr.  White,  one  of  the  engineers,  and  twenty-eight  men,  he  set  out 
for  the  north  on  the  3d  of  April.  The  equipment  consisted  of  four 
eight-men  sledges — so  called  because  each  was  manned  by  seven  men 
and  an  officer,  two  boats  for  possible  navigation  in  northern  waters;  four 
tents,  eleven  feet  long,  and  about  seven  wide;  and  between  1700  and  1800 
pounds  of  provisions  to  each  sledge.  The  sledges  were  named  Marco 
Polo,  Victoria,  Bulldog,  and  Alexandra.  The  costume  of  the  men  was 
composed  of  a  thick  woolen,  blanket-like  material,  under  a  suit  of  duck 
to  repel  external  moisture.  On  their  feet,  besides  thick  woolen  hose, 
were  worn  blanket- wrappers  and  moccasins;  and  all  wore  spectacles  as  a 
protection  against  snow-blindness.  Each  slept  in  a  separate  bag  of  the 
same  heavy  woolen  material  as  the  day-clothing,  and  the  eight,  in  the 
compass  of  the  eleven  feet  of  tent,  which  again  was  of  the  same  warm 
material.  Breakfast  was  taken  before  quitting  the  bags,  and  consisted 
of  a  pannikin  of  cocoa,  some  pemmican  and  biscuit.  After  five  hours' 
travel  a  lunch  of  biscuit,  with  four  ounces  of  bacon  and  a  pannikin  of  hot 
tea,  was  taken;  and  at  the  close  of  the  day's  journey,  varying  from  ten  to 
twelve  hours,  when  the  tents  were  pitched,  and  all,  except  the  acting 
cooks,  were  snugly  ensconced  in  their  bags,  a  supper  of  pemmican  and 
tea  was  served.  With  the  pemmican  was  always  mixed  a  certain  pro- 
portion of  preserved  potatoes. 

For  the  first  few  days  fair  progress  was  made,  though  from  the  out- 
set the  way  was  rough  and  difficult,  and  the  temperature  rather  low  for 


THE  SEA   OF  ANCIENT  ICE.  683 

comfort — on  the  6th  it  was  35°  below  zero.  On  reaching  the  depot  of 
provisions  at  Cape  Joseph  Henry,  established  before  the  close  of  the  pre- 
vious season,  the  party  was  re-arranged.  Fifteen  men,  with  three 
sledges,  and  a  total  weight  in  provisions  and  supplies  of  6079  pounds, 
accompanied  Markham  and  Parr  over  the  high,  rough  hummocks  of  the 
"Sea  of  Ancient  Ice."  On  the  loth,  "  Distance  made  good,"  says  Mark- 
ham,  "  one  mile ;  distance  marched,  seven."  On  the  1 2th  it  was  i  ^ 
made  good  to  nine  traveled;  the  iyth,  i  ^  to  nine;  and  on  the  iSth,  one 
to  ten,  and  taking  ten  hours  to  do  it."  "Course  and  distance  made  good, 
north,  four  miles;  distance  marched,  thirteen  miles,"  and  similar  entries 
mark  the  most  favorable  proportions.  But  often  only  a  single  sledge 
could  be  dragged  over  the  hummocks  at  a  time  with  their  combined 
force,  thus  requiring  five  successive  trips  to  cover  the  same  piece  of 
ground;  and  this  was  sometimes  varied  by  two  additional  trips  to  carry  . 
forward  a  few  disabled  comrades.  On  the  I9th  it  was  deemed  advi- 
sable to  lighten  the  burden  by  leaving  one  of  the  boats  behind — it  was 
not  likely  they  should  need  more  than  one  for  all  the  "  Open  Polar  Sea  " 
they  \vould  fall  in  with.  This  weighed  about  800  pounds,  but  two  of 
the  men  were  prostrated  by  the  scurvy,  and  had  to  take  its  place.  "  Be- 
fore quitting  the  boat,  an  oar  was  lashed  to  its  mast,  and  the  mast 
stepped,  yard  hoisted,  and  decorated  with  some  old  clothes,"  to  serve  as 
a  signal  whereby  to  reach  it  on  their  return. 

With  the  hummocks  recurring  every  hundred  yards  or  so,  varying 
only  in  height,  and  the  intermediate  spaces  covered  with  drifted  snow- 
ridges,  and  the  temperature  almost  constantly  below  zero,  their  progress 
was  necessarily  slow — very  slow,  snail-like,  and  tortuous.  "The  jour- 
ney," says  Nares,  "was  consequently  an  incessant  battle  to  overcome 
ever-recurring  obstacles,  each  hard-worn  success  stimulating  them  for  the 
next  struggle.  A  passage-way  had  always  to  be  cut  through  the 
squeezed-up  ice  with  pickaxes,  an  extra  one  being  carried  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  an  incline  picked  out  of  the  perpendicular  side  of  the  high 
floes,  or  roadway  built  up,  before  the  sledges — generally  one  at  a  time — 
could  be  brought  on.  Instead  of  advancing  with  a  steady  walk,  the 
usual  means  of  progression,  more  than  half  of  each  day  was  expended 


684  THE  HIGHEST  LATITUDE  EVER  REACHED. 

by  the  whole  party  facing  the  sledge  and  pulling  it  forward  a  few  feet 
at  a  time."  On  the  last  day  of  April  they  were  compelled  to  halt  in 
the  presence  of  a  new  enemy,  the  fog,  which  endangered  their  becom- 
ing entangled  in  a  labyrinth  of  hummocks.  This  weary  work  was  con- 
tinued through  the  first  third  of  May,  with  a  constant  increase  in  the 
number  of  the  sick,  when  it  was  decided  to  leave  them  behind,  while  the 
stronger  ones  were  to  make  a  final  push  for  the  highest  point  attainable. 
A  camp  was  established  for  the  invalids,  provisions  and  supplies  on  the 
nth,  and  left  in  charge  of  the  cooks.  On  the  morning  of  the  i2th, 
Markham  and  Parr,  with  such  of  the  men  as  were  still  in  a  condition  to 
venture  forward,  set  out,  encumbered  only  witn  a  few  instruments  and 
the  national  colors.  Markham  thus  relates  the  last  advance:  "We  had 
some  very  severe  walking,  through  which  the  labor  of  dragging  a 
sledge  would  be  interminable,  and  occasionally  almost  disappearing 
through  cracks  and  fissures,  until  twenty  minutes  to  noon,  when  a  halt 
was  called.  The  artificial  horizon  was  then  set  up,  and  the  flags  and 
banners  displayed,  these  fluttering  out  bravely  before  a  southwest  wind, 
which  latter,  however,  was  decidedly  cold  and  unpleasant.  At  noon  we 
obtained  a  good  altitude,  and  proclaimed  our  latitude  to  be  83°  20'  26" 
north,  exactly  three  hundred  and  ninety-nine  and  one-half  miles  from 
the  North  Pole.  On  this  being  duly  announced,  three  cheers  were 
given,  with  one  more  for  Capt.  Nares;  then  the  whole  party  in  the  ex- 
uberance of  their  spirits  at  having  reached  their  turning-point,  sang  'The 
Union  Jack  of  Old  England,'  by  the  grand  PalaBocrystic  sledging  cho- 
rus, winding  up  like  loyal  subjects,  with  'God  Save  the  Queen.'  "  In 
the  camp  they  celebrated  the  event  with  increased  spirit,  even  the  in- 
valids growing  more  cheerful  in  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  return.  Some 
extra  refreshments,  reserved  for  the*occasion,  were  distributed,  adding  to 
the  general  exhilaration.  The  leaders,  Markham  and  Parr,  though  they 
had  reached  the  highest  point  ever  attained,  were  no  more  than  half 
content  at  the  meager  result  of  so  many  hardships.  But  they  were  des- 
tined soon  to  find  that  the  decision  to  return  was 'the  salvation  of  the 
party,  as  almost  all  the  men  were  stricken  down  with  scurvy  before  reach- 
ing Depot  Point,  near  Cape  Joseph  Henry.  By  forced  marches  and  in- 


THE  POLE  IMPRACTICABLE,  685 

domitable  energy  they  succeeded  in  getting  the  men  to  camp  on  June  7; 
and  while  Markham  watched  and  labored  for  their  comfort,  Parr  set  out 
for  the  Alert,  thirty  miles  away.  Equipped  with"  only  a  walking-stick 
and  a  couple  of  light  rations,  he  trudged  off  alone  to  hurry  up  a  relief 
party,  stimulated  by  the  consciousness  that  on  his  exertions  depended  the 
life-chances  of  those  he  had  left  behind.  Fortunately  he  proved  equal 
to  the  emergency,  and  in  twenty-four  hours  reached  the  ship.  Before 
midnight  of  the  8th,  Capt.  Nares  was  on  the  way  to  Depot  Point,  at 
the  head  of  a  relieving  party.  Lieut.  May,  Dr.  Moss,  and  a  seaman, . 
with  a  light  dog-sledge,  were  sent  forward  as  a  lightly -equipped  advance 
party,  and  reached  the  camp  in  fifty  hours  from  Parr's  departure.  Short 
as  had  been  the  interval,  one  of  the  sick,  George  Porter,  had  died,  and 
was  already  buried  in  the  snow;  but  no  other  life  was  lost.  Of  the  fif- 
teen men  who  left  Depot  Point  two  months  before  with  Markham  and 
Parr,  only  three  were  able  to  assist  in  dragging  the  sledges  back;  three 
others  struggled  along  behind,  often  falling,  and  sometimes  fainting;  while 
nine  had  been  utterly  prostrated  and  had  to  be  carried  on  the  sledges  in 
the  tedious  manner  already  described.  They  had  reached  seventy  miles 
north  of  Grant  Land  over  the  Palasocrystic  ice,  as  Nares  called  it, 

Capt.  Nares  concluded  to  return  to  England.  The  condition  of  his 
crews,  much  enfeebled  by  disease,  and  the  results  obtained  being  sub- 
stantially equal  to  any  he  was  likely  to  secure  by  a  prolonged  stay,  de- 
termined him  to  abandon  all  further  attempts.  While  he  could  not 
doubt  that  another  season's  work  would  extend  the  area  of  land  ex- 
plored on  either  side  of  Robeson  Channel,  he  was  firmly  convinced  that 
no  advance  to  the  north,  sufficient  to  compensate  for  the  exposure  of  his 
men  and  ships,  was  attainable — that  in  a  word,  "The  Pole  was  impracti- 
cable." There  can  be  no  question  that  such  is  the  fact  in  that  direction, 
unless  it  will  be  found  that  some  seasons  are  more  favorable  than  the  one 
of  1876.  It  is  possible  that  the  more  extended  meteorological  observa- 
tions, now  [1882]  being  prosecuted  in  Arctic  regions  and  elsewhere,  may 
lead  to  the  detection  of  regular  cycles  of  temperature,  with  their  periods 
of  greatest  and  least  cold,  and  thus  enable  Arctic  explorers  to  choose  the 
most  favorable  season  for  the  coming  attempt  to  traverse  the  remaining 


686  TRIBUTE    TO  HALL. 

four  hundred  miles  to  the  Pole.  But  with  the  "Sea  of  Ancient  Ice"  as 
Nares  found  it,  no  amount  of  human  energy  or  heroic  daring  could 
achieve  the  feat  of  reaching  it. 

Among  the  acts  performed  by  this  expedition,  one  of  international 
courtesy  is  worthy  of  mention.  It  was  a  pleasing  and  graceful  act  to 
the  memory  of  a  great  navigator  who  has  been  undeservedly  under- 
rated by  some,  because  his  methods  were  peculiar.  These  forget  that 
each  fresh  advance  is  made  possible  only  by  the  departure  of  each  new 
•pioneer  from  the  beaten  track  of  his  predecessors.  On  the  i3th  of  May, 
1876,  Capt.  Stephenson,  in  the  presence  of  twenty-four  officers  and  men 
of  Nares'  expedition,  erected  at  Hall's  grave  an  appropriate  brass  tablet 
prepared  for  the  purpose  in  England. 

And  later,  in  his  report  to  Parliament,  Nares  bore  testimony  to  the 
accuracy  of  Hall's  observations,  though  with  confessedly  defective  in- 
struments, in  these  words:  "The  coast  line  (west  from  Kennedy  Chan- 
nel) was  observed  to  be  continuous  for  about  thirty  miles,  forming  a  bay, 
bounded  toward  the  west  by  the  United  States  range  of  mountains,  with 
Mounts  Mary  and  Julia  and  Cape  Joseph  Henry,  agreeing  so  well  with 
Hall's  description  that  it  was  impossible  to  mistake  their  identity.  Their 
bearings,  also,  although  differing  upward  of  thirty  degrees  from  those  of 
the  published  chart,  agreed  precisely  with  his  published  report." 

Capt.  Nares  now  concluded  to  return  to  England;  and,  encountering 
many  difficulties  from  storm  and  ice,  arrived  home  on  the  2yth  of  Octo- 
ber, 1876,  after  an  absence  of  sixteen  months,  with  his  ships  uninjured, 
and  with  only  the  loss  of  life  already  mentioned.  Notwithstanding 
some  adverse  criticism  from  stay-at-home  navigators,  closet  theorists,  and 
paper  philosophers,  the  expedition  was  properly  regarded  as  a  great  suc- 
cess, and  its  heroes  were  deservedly  honored  by  their  country  with  sub- 
stantial tokens  of  regard,  as  well  as  with  the  hearty  plaudits  of  the 
people. 


CHAPTER    LXXIV. 

SCHWATKA  EXPEDITION  THE  EOTHEN OFFICERS  AND  CREW IN 

KING  WILLIAM'S  LAND — CONFIRMATION  OF  RAE'S  TESTIMONY — 
GRAVE  OF  LIEUT.  IRVING HOMAGE  FROM  AMERICA  AND  GREAT 

BRITAIN. 

The  fate  of  Franklin's  crew  and  ships  has  continued  to  interest  in- 
quiring and  sympathetic  minds  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  even  up  to 
the  present.  The  public  suspense  regarding  Franklin's  individual  de- 
cease had  been  relieved  by  M'Clintock  in  1859;  but  there  still  remained 
the  mystery  of  the  ships,  of  the  fate  of  their  companies,  and  of  the 
record  of  their  achievements.  Some  idea  of  their  general  course  could  be 
gathered  from  the  scanty  records  of  Gore  and  Crozier,  but  this  was  unsat- 
isfactory and  vague,  and  left  a  deep  want — -a  demand  for  knowledge — • 
unsupplied.  The  information  gained  by  Hall  on  his  second  voyage  con- 
firmed the  hypothesis  of  Rae,  that  the  most  of  the  party  had  died  by 
starvation;  though  concerning  the  actual  course  of  Franklin  and  the  fate 
of  his  ships,  Hall  left  the  world  no  wiser  than  before. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1878,  Lieut.  Schwatka,  U.  S.  A.,  who  had 
taken  an  active  interest  in  the  subject  from  boyhood,  asked  for  leave  of 
absence  from  his  place  of  duty  on  the  plains,  came  to  New  York  and 
asked  permission  to  organize  a  search  party,  for  the  purpose  of  discover-  . 
ing  the  supposed  records  of  Franklin's  last  voyage.  After  listening  to 
his  proposition,  Judge  Daly,  of  the  Geographical  Society,  gave  him  all 
the  information  in  his  possession  concerning  the  probable  whereabouts 
of  the  missing  treasures;  commending  him  also  to  Gen.  Sherman  and 
indorsing  his  application  to  be  detailed  to  command  the  exploring  party. 
The  lieutenant  also  conferred  with  Messrs.  Morrison  &  Brown,  of  South 
street,  concerning  the  use  of  a  whaling  vessel  for  the  transportation 

of  the  party  to  the  scene  of  their  labors.      Their  only  available  ship,  the, 

687 


688  THE  EOTHEN. 

Eothen,  was'  at  sea,  but  upon  her  arrival  in  New  York  her  owners 
offered  her  for  the  use  of  the  expedition,  and  she  was  refitted  in  the  best 
manner  for  the  comfort  of  the  party. 

Prior  to  his  departure  Lieut.  Schwatka  received  instructions  for  his 
procedure  as  follows,  from  Mr.  Morrison:  "  Upon  your  arrival  at  Re- 
pulse Bay  you  will  prepare  for  your  inland  journey  by  building  your 
sledges  and  taking  such  provisions  as  are  necessary.  As  soon  as  suffi- 
cient snow  is  on  the  ground  you  will  start  from  King  William's  Land 
and  the  Gulf  of  Boothia.  Take  daily  observations,  and  whenever  you 
discover  any  error  in  any  of  the  charts  you  will  correct  the  same,  mark- 
ing thereon  also  any  new  discoveries  you  may  be  fortunate  enough  to 
make."  He  was  further  admonished  to  carefully  preserve  all  records 
found,  and  keep  them  safely  in  his  own  possession  or  to  intrust  them  to  his 
Esquimaux  interpreter.  Finally,  he  was  advised,  even  though  his  expe- 
dition proved  a  failure  in  its  particular  end,  to  make  it  a  geographical 
success,  as  his  facilities  for  doing  so  would  be  excellent. 

The  Eothen  sailed  from  New  York  on  the  ipth  of  June,  1878,  being 
accompanied  down  the  bay  by  several  tugs  containing  the  friends  and 
relatives  of  the  explorers.  Her  officers  and  crew  were  as  follows :  Cap- 
tain, Thomas  F.  Barry ;  Jeremiah  Bomepus,  chief  mate;  James  Piepper, 
second  mate;  James  Kearney,  boatswain;  H.  Omenheuser,  cooper; 
Frederick  Woern,  blacksmith;  Charles  Budley,  carpenter,  and  ten  sea- 
men. The  exploring  party  was  composed  of  five  persons:  Lieut. 
Frederick  Schwatka,  commander;  Col.  W.  H.  Gilder,  a  New  York  cor- 
respondent; Joseph  Ebierbing,  Esquimaux  guide  and  interpreter;  Henry 
E.  Klietchak,  civil  engineer,  and  Frank  Mellers,  assistant  engineer. 

After  leaving  the  investigating  party  at  the  scene  of  their  adven- 
tures, the  Eothen  cruised  about  for  whales  a  short  time,  and  finally  re- 
turned to  New  London. 

Schwatka  and  his  comrades  spent  the  winters  of  1878-9  and  1879-80 
in  investigating  King  William's  Land,  the  supposed  last  resting  place  of 
most  of  Franklin's  men.  In  this  work  they  were  greatly  assisted  by  the 
activity,  intelligence  and  willingness,  both  of  their  native  interpreter 
whom  they  had  brought,  and  also  of  the  Esquimaux  of  the  neighbor* 


CHAPTER    LXXV. 

SWEDEN      IN      ARCTIC      EXPLORATIONS NORDENSKIOLD NUMEROUS 

POLAR    VOYAGES THE    SOFIA    IN    KING'S     BAY VOYAGE    TO    THE 

MOUTH  OF  THE  OBI SAMOYED  TENTS A  PROBLEM  IN  NAVIGA- 
TION SOLVED — NORDENSKIOLD'S  PREPARATION  —  HIS  SLEDGE- 
JOURNEYS FUNDS  PROVIDED THE  VEGA  PURCHASED. 

Though  Sweden  was  late  to  take  part  in  Arctic  exploration,  she  has 
already  reached  an  important  position  among  the  nations  in  the  scale  of 
results  actually  achieved.  For  this  she  is  largely  indebted  to  the  skill 
and  enterprise  of  her  adopted  son,  Adolf  Eric  Nordcnskiold,  a  native  of 
Helsingfors,  the  capital  of  Russian  Finland.  In  consequence  of  a  pa- 
triotic toast  given  by  him  at  a  supper  party  in  1855,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three,  he  was  deprived  by  Count  Von  Berg,  the  Russian  governor- 
general,  of  a  small  official  position  he  held  in  the  museum  of  his  native 
city.  To  this  was  added  the  insult  of  being  declared  incapable  of  hold- 
ing office  in  the  university,  where  he  had  continued  his  studies  since 
graduating  with  distinguished  honor  some  years  before,  and  where  he 
had  entered  as  a  student  in  1849.  He  was  an  ardent  nationalist,  and  a 
thorn  in  the  side  cf  the  paternal  government  of  the  representative  of  the 
czar.  The  ancient  constitution  had  been  guaranteed  to  Tinland  at  the 
union  with  Russia,  in  1809,  but  the  guarantee  has  proved  illusory,  and 
the  people  are  ruled  almost  as  autocratically  as  in  Russia. 

Nordenski5ld  left  the  country  and  took  service  with  Sweden,  becom- 
ing State  mineralogist  in  1858,  and  evincing  from  the  first  an  active  in- 
terest in  Arctic  exploration.  The  very  next  year,  1859,  he  is  found 
engaged  in  the  expedition  fitted  out  at  the  expense  of  Otto  Torell;  and 
from  that  year  to  1878,  he  took  part  in  no  less  than  seven  Arctic 
expeditions,  in  all  of  which  he  was  either  the  leader,  or  held  an  impor- 
tant place.  The  expenses  of  these  were  defrayed  in  part  by  private  sub- 


VARIOUS  POLAR    VOTAGES. 


scription,  and  in  part  by  the  Swedish  government,  Dr.  Oscar  Dickson, 
a  wealthy  merchant  of  Othenburg,  being  a  liberal  contributor  to  five  of 
them.  These  expeditions  were,  to  Spitzbergen  in  1861  and  1864;  an 
attempt  to  reach  the  Pole,  in  1868;  to  Greenland,  in  1870;  to  Spitzbergen 
again,  in  1872—3;  to  the  Yenisei  River  in  Siberia,  in  1875,  and  again  in 
1876.  Besides  these  there  were  two  Arctic  voyages,  in  1868  and  1871, 
by  Baron  Von  Otter,  Swedish  Councillor  of  State,  and  Minister  of  Ma- 
rine. By  all  these  voyages  the  stock  of  information  in  relation  to  Spitz- 
bergen and  Greenland  and  the  adjoining  seas,  was  largely  increased ;  and 
the  intervals  were  devoted  by 
Nordenskigld  to  studies  and  in- 
vestigations relating  to  what  he 
had  from  his  first  arrival  in 
Sweden  made  a  life-work. 

In  the  polar  voyage  of  1868, 
with  the  steamer  Sofia,  latitude 
81°  42'  was  reached,  and  the  at- 
tempt to  push  farther  north  from 
the  Seven  Sisters  of  the  Spitz- 
bergen group  is  thus  described  by 
Noixlenskiold :  "  Northward  lay 
vast  masses  of  ice,  as  yet  broken, 
it  is  true,  but  still  so  closely  packed 
that  not  even  a  boat  could  pass 
forward,  and  we  were  therefore 
obliged  to  turn  to  the  southwest,  and  seek  for  another  opening  in 
the  ice ;  but  we  found  on  the  contrary,  that  the  ice-limit  stretched  itself 
more  and  more  to  the  south.  On  the  way  we  had  in  several  places  met 
ice  that  was  "black  with  stones,  gravel,  and  earth,  which  would  seem  to 
indicate  the  existence  of  land  still  farther  north.  Moreover,  the  ice  itself 
had  a  very  different  appearance  from  that  which  we  had  met  in  these 
tracts  at  the  end  of  August.  It  consisted  now,  not  only  of  larger  ice- 
fields, but  also  of  huge  ice-blocks.  Already  in  the  beginning  of  Sep- 
tember the  surface  of  the  ocean,  after  a  somewhat  heavy  fall  of  snow, 


PROF.   A.    E.    NORDENSKIOLD. 


VOTAGE   TO   THE  OBf  AjVD   YENISEI.  .  693 

had  shown  itself  between  the  ice-masses,  covered  with  a  coatino-  of  ice, 

'  O 

which,  however,  was  yet  thin,  and  scarcely  hindered  the  vessel's  prog- 
ress. Now  (toward  the  close  of  September)  it  was  so  thick  that  it 
was  not  without  difficulty  that  a  way  could  be  forced  through  it." 

In  a  gale,  a  few  days  later,  the  ship  was  dashed  against  an  iceberg, 
and  began  to  leak  so  badly  that  on  reaching  Amsterdam  Island  on  the 
4th  of  October,  after  eleven  hours  at  the  pumps,  there  were  two  feet  of 
water  on  the  floor  of  the  cabin.  Fortunately  the  engine-room  was  pro- 
tected by  water-tight  bulkheads,  and  by  great  exertion  the  overflow  was 
kept  from  reaching  the  fires.  The  leak  was  temporarily  stopped,  and 
they  succeeded  in  reaching  a  more  secure  harbor  in  King's  Bay,  where 
at  ebb-tide  they  were  able  to  make  more  permanent  repairs,  and  render 
the  ship  once  more  completely  water-tight.  It  was  found,  however,  that 
she  was  radically  hurt,  two  of  her  ribs  having  been  broken  in  the  col- 
lision with  the  iceberg;  and  it  was  deemed  prudent  to  return  home.  The 
voyage  showed  that  the  ice  of  the  Spitzbergen  seas  to  the  north  was  still 
as  impracticable  as  Parry  had  found  it  forty  years  before. 

In  the  voyage  of  1875  to  the  mouths  of  the  Obi  and  Yenisei,  Nor- 
denskiold  landed  on  the  8th  of  August  on  the  peninsula  of  Yalnial,  that 
is,  in  Samoyed,  Land's  End,  separated  from  Beli  Ostrov  or  White  Island, 
by  Malygin  Sound.  It  had  been  reached  in  1737  by  Selifontov  in  a  rein- 
deer-sledge, and  was  first  mentioned  in  the  narrative  of  Skuratov's  jour- 
ney of  the  same  year.  A  more  southerly  portion  of  it  was  traversed  by 
SujefF  in  his  overland  journey  from  Obdorsk  to  the  Kara  Sea  in  177*' 
In  the  second  voyage  of  the  younger  Krusenstern  (Paul)  in  the  Kara 
Sea  in  1862,  when  the  Yermak  was  abandoned  on  the  coast  of  this  great 
Samoyed  peninsula  far  to  the  south,  in  latitude  69°  54',  the  commander 
and  crew  escaped  to  the  land,  destitute  of  everything,  but  had  the 
good  fortune  to  fall  in  with  a  Samoyed  elder,  the  owner  of  2,000  rein- 
deer, who  took  them  to  Obdorsk  about  600  miles  distant  by  the  route 
taken.  "  We  saw  no  inhabitants,"  says  Nordenskiold,  "but  everywhere 
along  the  beach  numerous  tracks  of  men — some  of  them  barefoot — rein- 
deer, dogs,  and  Samoyed  sledges  were  visible.  On  the  top  of  the  strand- 
bank  was  found  a  place  of  sacrifice,  consisting  of  forty-five  bears'  skulls 


694  SAM  or  ED  ENCAMPMENT. 

of  various  ages  placed  in  a  heap,  a  large  number  of  reindeer  skulls,  the 
lower  jaw  of  a  walrus,  etc.  From  most  of  the  bears'  skulls  the  canine 
teeth  were  broken  out,  and  the  lower  jaw  was  frequently  entirely  want- 
ing. Some  of  the  bones  were  overgrown  with  moss,  and  lay  sunk  in 
the  earth;  others  had,  as  the  adhering  flesh  showed,  been  placed  there 
during  the  present  year.  In  the  middle  of  the  heap  of  bones  stood  four 
erect  pieces  of  wood.  Two  consisted  of  sticks  a  metre  (3.28  feet)  in 
length,  with  notches  cut  in  them,  serving  to  bear  up  the  reindeer  and 
bears'  skulls,  which  were  partly  placed  on  the  points  of  the  sticks,  or 
hung  up  by  means  of  the  notches,  or  spitted  on  the  sticks  by  four-cor- 
nered holes  cut  in  the  skulls.  The  two  others,  which  clearly  were  the 
proper  idols  of  this  place  of  sacrifice,  consisted  of  driftwood  roots,  on 
which  some  cai'vings  had  been  made,  to  distinguish  the  mouth,  eyes,  and 
nose.  The  parts  of  the  pieces  of  wood  intended  to  represent  the  eyes 
and  mouth,  had  recently  been  besmeared  with  blood,  and  there  still  lay 
at  the  heap  of  bones  the  entrails  of  a  newly-killed  reindeer.  Close  be- 
side were  found  the  remains  of  a  fire-place,  and  of  a  midden,  consisting 
of  reindeer  bones  of  various  kinds,  and  the  lower  jaws  of  bears.  Sail- 
ing on  at  some  distance  from  the  coast,  and  at  one  place  passing  between 
the  shore  and  a  long  series  of  blocks  of  ground-ice,  which  had  stranded 
along  the  coast  in  a  depth  of  nine  to  sixteen  metres  (291^  to  52^  feet), 
during  the  night  we  passed  a  place  where  five  Samoyed  tents  were 
pitched,  in  whose  neighborhood  a  large  number  of  reindeer  pastured." 

The  results  of  those  several  voyages  are  thus  summed  up  by  Norden- 
skigld :  "  The  exploring  expeditions,  which,  during  the  recent  decades, 
have  gone  out  from  Sweden  toward  the  north,  have  long  ago  acquired 
a  truly  national  importance,  through  the  lively  interest  that  has  been 
taken  in  them  everywhere,  beyond  as  well  as  within  the  fatherland; 
through  the  considerable  sums  of  money  that  have  been  spent  on  them 
by  the  State,  and  above  all  by  private  persons;  through  the  practical 
school  they  have  formed  for  more  than  thirty  Swedish  naturalists; 
through  the  important  scientific  and  geographical  results  they  have 
yielded;  and  through  the  material  for  scientific  research,  which  by  them 
has  been  collected  for  the  Swedish  Royal  Museum,  and  which  has  made 


696  NORDENSK1 'OLD'S  PREPARATIONS. 

it,  in  respect  of  Arctic  natural  objects,  the  richest  in  the  world.  To  this 
should  be  added  discoveries  and  investigations  which  are,  or  promise  in 
the  future  to  become,  of  practical  importance ;  for  example,  the  meteoro- 
logical and  hydrographical  work  of  the  expeditions ;  their  comprehensive 
inquiries  regarding  the  seal  and  whale  fisheries  in  the  Polar  seas;  the 
pointing  out  of  the  previously  unsuspected  richness  in  fish  of  the  coasts 
of  Spitzbergen ;  the  discoveries  on  Bear  Island  and  Spitzbergen  of  con- 
siderable strata  of  coal  and  phosphatic  minerals,  which  are  likely  to  be 
of  great  economic  importance  to  neighboring  countries;  and,  above  all, 
the  success  of  the  two  last  expeditions  in  reaching  the  mouths  of  the 
large  Siberian  rivers — the  Obi  and  Yenisei — navigable  to  the  confines  of 
China,  whereby  a  problem  in  navigation,  many  centuries  old,  has  at  last 
been  solved." 

These  experiences  and  labors  had  prepared  Nordenskiold  for  the 
great  triumph  he  was  to  achieve  a  few  years  later,  making  his  unpar- 
alleled success  the  hard-earned  and  well-deserved  result  of  constant  en- 
deavor, not  a  hap-hazard  achievement  or  lucky  hit.  He  fought  a  hard 
and  long-continued  series  of  battles  with  the  ice  king,  ascertaining  both 
his  strong  and  his  weak  points.  Six  times  he  had  met  the  enemy  on  land 
and  sea,  in  Greenland  and  Spitzbergen,  before  encountering  him  off  the 
north  coast  of  Siberia.  With  the  two  voyages  thitherward  in  1875  and 
1876,  Nordenskiold  himself  connects  his  seventh  voyage  in  1878,  which 
was  destined  to  make  him  one  of  the  most  famous  navigators  the  world 
has  ever  seen.  "After  my  return  from  the  voyage  of  1876,"  he  says,  "  I 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  on  the  ground  of  the  experience  thereby 
gained,  and  of  the  knowledge  which,  under  the  light  of  that  experience, 
it  was  possible  to  obtain  from  old,  especially  from  Russian  explorations 
of  the  north  coast  of  Asia,  I  was  warranted  in  asserting  that  the  open 
navigable  water  which  two  years  in  succession  had  carried  me  across  the 
Kara  Sea — formerly  of  so  bad  repute — to  the  mouth  of  the  Yenisei,  ex- 
tended in  all  probability  as  far  as  Behring's  Straits,  and  that  a  circum- 
navigation of  the  Old  World  was  thus  within  the  bounds  of  possibility." 

The  great  navigator,  Hudson,  270  years  before,  had  satisfied  himself 
that  the  Northeast  Passage  could  never  be  found  an  available  route  for 


COMMERCIAL   RESULTS.  697 

the  commerce  of  the  East.  Yet  the  earlier  efforts  in  that  direction,  under 
Willoughby  and  Chancellor,  in  1853-56,  had  opened  commercial  rela- 
tions with  Russia,  on  the  White  Sea.  It  was  therefore  rightly  judged 
by  Nordenskiold  that,  besides  the  geographical  and  scientific  interest 
attaching  to  navigation  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific,  no  trifling  commercial  results  would  accrue  from  opening  a  way 
to  the  mouths  of  the  great  rivers  of  Siberia.  He  knew  that  a  northeast 
route  to  "  Cathay  "  was  no  longer  a  necessity  to  the  trade  of  North  Eu- 
rope, since  the  Suez  Canal  had  become  the  highwayof  trade  to  the  East, 
but  he  also  recognized  "  that  a  practicable  route  of  maritime  intercourse 
between  the  gulfs  and  estuaries  of  the  Obi  and  Yenisei  and  the  Atlantic, 
on  one  hand,  and  the  mouths  of  the  Lena  and  the  Pacific  on  the  other, 
would  open  half  a  hemisphere  to  commerce,  render  pdssible  the  exporta- 
tion of  agricultural  and  forest  products  from  immense  regions  of  remark- 
able fertility,  and  thus  furnish  the  inhabitants  with  the  means  of  ex- 
changing the  products  of  the  soil  with  the  industrial  products  of  Europe 
and  America,  those  conveniences  so  necessary  to  the  comfort  and  wel- 
fare of  the  poorest  denizens  of  more  favored  climes.  It  will  always  be 
difficult  to  introduce  on  a  large  scale,  by  any  other  route,  the  heavy  ma- 
chinery, farm-engines,  steamboats,  etc.,  which  constitute  in  our  day  the 
levers  of  a  country's  civilization." 

Besides  the  very  practical  and  indispensable  education  which  Nor- 
denskiold had  thus  acquired  in  the  very  best  school,  he  had  made  him- 
self familiar  with  all  that  had  been  done  by  Russian  navigators,  explorers 
and  surveyors  along  the  north  coast  of  Siberia,  as  well  as  with  the  re- 
sults attained  and  the  experiences  gained  by  the  great  navigators  of  every 
land.  He  had  made  sledge-journeys  like  Wrangell  and  Parry  over  the 
sea,  and  like  Middendorf  and  Simpson  over  the  land.  He  now  felt  that 
an  exceptional  opportunity  had  arisen  for  solving  a  great  geographical 
problem,  which  for  more  than  300  years  had  occupied  the  attention  and 
excited  the  competition  of  the  foremost  commercial  nations  and  most 
daring  navigators;  and  which,  if  viewed  in  the  light  of  a  circumnaviga- 
tion of  the  Eastern  hemisphere,  had  been  a  subject  of  geographical  inter- 
est for  at  least  two  thousand  years.  He  had  learned,  as  has  been  else- 


698  FUNDS   CONTRIBUTED. 

where  related  in  this  volume,  that  Russian  navigators,  especially  Pront- 
schischev,  Laptew  and  Chelyuskin,  with  very  inadequate  resources,  had 
come  very  near  doubling  the  north  point  of  Asia.  In  view  of  these  facts, 
and  his  own  experience  of  those  regions  in  1875  and  1876,  he  reasonably 
inferred  that  their  failure  was  due  rather  to  the  imperfections  of  the  ves- 
sels employed,  than  to  any  insurmountable  obstacles  presented  by  the  ice, 
and  that  a  strong,  well-equipped  steamer  would  be  able  to  penetrate 
where  they  had  failed.  These  Siberian  coasters  were  too  frail  to  encoun- 
ter the  ice-pack,  and  being  usually  flat-bottomed,  keelless,  and  held  to- 
gether with  willows,  were  equally  unfit  for  the  open  sea.  Nor  had  it 
escaped  his  notice  that  these  Russian  navigators  had  all  strangely  mis- 
calculated the  most  favorable  season  of  the  year  for  their  efforts.  In 
1740  an  expedition  under  the  mates  Minin  and  Sterlegoff,  after  two 
experiments  in  1738  and  1739,  had  succeeded  in  reaching  75°  .15'  north 
of  the  mouth  of  the  Yenisei,  when  they  returned  on  the  2d  of  Septem- 
ber, because  of  the  supposed  lateness  of  the  season. 

Nordenksiold  was  in  possession  of  some  funds  placed  at  his  disposal 
for  the  purposes  of  exploration  by  the  merchant  A.  Sibiriakoff;  but  con- 
cluding to  give  the  new  expedition  a  greater  scope  and  a  more  adequate 
outfit  than  these  funds  would  warrant,  he  applied  to  the  king  to  ascer- 
tain whether  any  aid  might  be  expected  from  the  public  funds.  "  King 
Oscar,  who  already  as  crown  prince  had  given  a  large  contribution  to 
the  Tarell  expedition  of  1861,  immediately  received  the  proposition  with 
special  warmth."  Eventually  all  the  expenses,  less,  however,  the  con- 
tributions of  the  government — in  pay,  rations  and  supplies  of  three  offi- 
cers, including  a  physician,  and  seventeen  men  detailed  from  the  navy 
for  service  in  the  expedition;  in  equipment  of  the  vessel  at  the  national 
dock-yards  at  Karlskrona,  not,  however,  to  exceed  $6,675*  anc^  *n  nava^ 
stores,  including  medicines,  to  the  e'xtent  of  $2,750 — were  defrayed  by 
the  king,  Dr.  Dickson,  and  Mr.  Sibiriakoff.  Dickson  acted  as  banker, 
supplying  ready  cash  as  needed  by  the  expedition. 

Besides  his  share  of  the  general  expense,  Sibiriakoff  authorized  Nor- 
denskiold  to  build  a  small  steamer  at  his  expense,  to  act  as  tender  or 
store-ship  to  the  exploring  vessel  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Lena,  whence 


THE   VEGA.  699 

she  was  to  return  with  a  cargo  on  his  account;  and  to  fit  out  two  mer- 
chantmen, one  a  steamer  and  the  other  a  sailing  vessel,  for  the  mouth  of 
the  Yenisei,  which  were  to  have  cargoes  both  ways — European  goods 
out,  and  Siberian  grain  back. 

The  next  important  preliminary  was  the  purchase  of  a  vessel  suitable 
for  the  voyage,  and  the  choice  fell  upon  the  now  historic  Vega,  which 
was  thus  described  by  the  owners  when  offered  for  sale,  a  description 
to  which  the  purchasers  found  no  reason  to  take  exception:  "The 
steamer  Vega  was  built  at  Bremerhaven  in  1872-3,  of  the  best  oak,  and 
under  special  inspection.  She  has  twelve  years'  first-class  register,  and 
is  of  357  tons  gross,  and  299  net,  burden.  She  was  built  and  used  for 
whale  fishing  in  the  North  Polar  Sea,  and  strengthened  in  every  way 
necessary,  and  commonly  used  for  that  purpose.  Besides  the  usual  tim- 
bering of  oak,  she  has  an  ice-skin  of  greenheart,  wherever  the  ice  may 
be  expected  to  come  at  her  timbers.  The  dimensions  are — Length  over 
deck,  142.3  feet;  keel,  123.3;  breadth  of  beam,  27.5;  and  depth  of  hold, 
15  feet.  The  engine,  of  sixty  horse-power,  is  on  Wolff's  plan,  with 
excellent  surface  condensers,  and  requires  about  ten  (twelve,  it  proved) 
cubic  feet  of  coal  per  hour.  The  vessel  is  fully  rigged  as  a  barque,  and 
has  pitch-pine  masts,  iron  wire  rigging,  and  patent  reefing  topsails. 
She  sails  and  manceuvers  uncommonly  well,  and  under  sail  alone  attains 
a  speed  of  nine  to  ten  knots.  During  the  trial  trip  the  steamer  made 
seven  and  a  half  knots,  but  six  to  seven  knots  per  hour  may  be  consid- 
ered the  speed  under  steam.  Further,  there  are  on  the  vessel  a  power- 
ful steam  winch,  a  reserve  rudder,  and  a  reserve  propeller."  She  was, 
however,  thoroughly  overhauled,  strengthened  and  refitted  at  the  naval 
dock-yard. 


CHAPTER    LXXVI. 

FURNISHING  AND    MANNING    OF  THE  VEGA THE    LENA THE    FRASER 

—  THE      EXPRESS THE      VEGA      LEAVES       GOTHENBURG FIRST 

SCIENTIFIC    NOTES DWARFED    TREES BARENTZ'    HOUSE    DISCOV- 
ERED  CHABAROVA SAMOYED    LIFE THEIR    DEALINGS    WITH 

THE     RUSSIANS THE    HOUSEHOLD    GODS    OF    THE    SAMOYEDS A 

TADIBE. 

Every  modern  appliance  had  been  secured.  Scientific  instruments  for 
astronomical,  physical,  meteorological  and  geographical  researches  had 
been  furnished  by  the  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences,  and  ample  provisions 
made  for  the  health  and  well-being  of  the  ship's  company,  when  the 
Vega,  already  described,  left  the  harbor  of  Karlskrona  on  the  22d  of 
June,  1878,  on  her  memorable  voyage.  Her  crew  consisted  of  seventeen 
men  of  the  Royal  Navy,  in  charge  of  Lieuts.  A.  A.  L.  Palmer  and  E.  C. 
Brusewitz,  with  Palander  in  command  of  the  ship,  as  acting  captain,  and 
R.  Nilsson  as  sailing-master.  Lieuts.  A.  Hovgaard,  of  the  Danish 
Navy,  and  C.  Bove,  of  the  Italian,  who  had  obtained  permission  to  ac- 
company the  expedition,  and  serve,  respectively,  as  superintendents  of  its 
meteorological  and  hydrographical  work,  were  also  on  board.  On  the 
24th  the  Vega  arrived  at  Copenhagen  to  ship  provisions,  and  leaving  on 
the  26th,  put  in  at  Gothenburg  on  the  2yth  to  take  aboard  the  scientific 
equipments  and  the  gentlemen  in  charge  of  the  several  departments  of 
that  work — F.  R.  Kjellman,  botanist;  A.  J.  Stuxberg,  zoologist;  Lieut. 
O.  Nordquist,  of  the  Russian  Guards,  assistant  zoologist  and  interpreter; 
and  E.  Almquist,  lichenologist  and  medical  officer  of  the  expedition. 
Besides  the  Vega,  with  her  company  of  thirty  persons,  of  whom  only 
four  were  seamen,  the  others  being  officers,  engineers  and  scientists, 
the  other  three  vessels  already  referred  to,  and  which  belonged  to 

the    merchant,  Sibiriakoff,  were    at  the  disposal  of  the  commander  of 

700 


THE    VEGA  LEAVES  GOTHENBURG.  701 

the  expedition,  consisting  of  quite  a  little  fleet,  with  the  Vega  as  a  sort 
of  flag-ship.  They  were  the  steam-tender  Lena,  Christian  Johannesen, 
captain;  the  steamer  Fraser,  Emil  Nilsson,  captain,  and  the  sailing  vessel, 
Express,  under  Captain  Gunderson,  with  their  respective  corps  of  petty 
officers  and  crews,  and  S.  J.  SeribrienkofF  as  supercargo  and  representa- 
tive of  the  commercial  interests  of  the  owner.  The  two  merchantmen 
were  to  meet  the  Vega  and  her  tender  at  Chabarova  on  Yugor  Schar  or 
Vaigats  Sound,  lying  between  the  island  of  that  name  and  the  Russian 
mainland,  which  was  also  the  appointed  rendezvous  of  the  Lena,  should 
she  get  separated  from  the  Vega.  The  name  Yugor  is  derived  from  the 
old  name  of  the  adjoining  portion  of  the  continent,  Jugaria  or  Yugaria, 
the  supposed  intermediate  seat  of  the  Hungarians,  between  their  depar- 
ture from  their  original  Tartar  home  in  Central  Asia  and  their  migra- 
tion southward  to  their  present  location,  toward  the  close  of  the  ninth 
century  of  our  era. 

On  the  4th  of  July  the  Vega  left  Gothenburg,  but  encountering 
head-winds  off  the  west  coast  of  Norway,  her  progress  was  slow,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  zyth  that  she  reached  Tromsoe,  where  she  was  to  take 
aboard  the  commander,  and  be  joined  by  the  Lena.  Here  they  shipped 
three  walrus-hunters,  and  such  special  Arctic  equipments  as  reindeer 
skins,  besides  coal  and  water.  On  the  2ist,  about  fifteen  days  later  than 
intended,  they  set  out  on  the  regular  voyage,  making  for  Maossoe,  a 
small  island  of  the  Northern  Archipelago,  where  they  were  to  have  their 
last  mail  facilities.  Here  they  were  detained  three  days  by  adverse 
winds,  instead  of  that  many  hours,  as  anticipated.  They  were  hospita- 
bly entertained  by  the  inhabitants,  and  Nordenskiold  records  as  the  chief 
advantage  of  the  delay  an  effective  remedy  for  scurvy.  The  cold,  wet 
climate  of  the  island  makes  the  disease  an  endemic,  which  attacks  all 
classes  and  conditions  of  the  inhabitants;  but,  "  According  to  a  statement 
made  by  a  lady  resident  on  the  spot,  very  severe  attacks  are  cured  with- 
out fail,  by  cloud-berries  preserved  in  rum.  Several  spoonfuls  are  given 
the  patient  daily,  and  a  couple  of  quarts  of  the  medicine  is  said  to  be 
sufficient  for  the  complete  cure  of  children  severely  attacked  by  the  dis- 
ease." The  cloud-berry  is  recognized  as  an  efficient  anti-scorbutic,  and 


702  SCIENTIFIC  NOTES. 

perhaps  may  be  thus  more  conveniently  taken,  but  it  owes  nothing  of  its 
efficacy  to  the  rum. 

Among  the  first  scientific  notes  of  the  expedition  was  one,  which  was 
due  to  their  unexpected  detention.  It  was  observed  that  the  sweet  birch 
now  grows  only  in  favored  spots  so  far  north,  while  formerly  the  outer 
islands  of  the  Archipelago  were  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth,  indica- 


THE   CLOUD-BERRY. 

ting  a  gradual  lowering  of  the  general  temperature.  In  Siberia  it 
grows  to  about  a  degree  further  north,  or  72°?  owing  to  the  large  volume 
of  warm  water  borne  by  the  great  rivers  every  summer  from  the  more 
genial  southern  climes  through  which  they  flow.  The  dwarf-birch  is 
found  six  degrees  farther,  on  the  Ice  Fiord  in  Spitzbergen,  78°  7',  but 
rises  there  only  to  a  few  inches  above  the  ground.  It  is  not,  however, 


THE    VEGA   AND  LENA   SEPARATE. 


703 


any  species  of  the  birch  that  grows  farthest  to  the  north  in  Siberia,  but  a 
species  of  the  hardy  birch. 

Leaving  Maossoe  on  the  35th,  they  steamed  through  Margeroe 
Sound,  between  the  island  of  that  name,  the  northern  extremity  of 
which  is  known  as  North  Cape,  and  the  mainland  of  Norway.  The 
Vega  and  Lena  parted  company  the  first  night  in  a  fog,  but  each  pro- 
ceeded on  its  way  to  Chabarova.  The  Vega  was  steered  due  east  to 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  west  coast  of  Nova  Zembla,  which  they 
sighted  on  the  28th  at  70°  33'  by  51°  54',  east,  in  about  seventy-five 


DWARFED   TREES  IN  SIBERIA. 


hours  from  Maossoe.  This  was  about  midway  between  the  Matotschin 
Schar,  or  Sound,  and  Yugor  Schar.  The  Matotschin  Sound  divides 
Nova  Zembla  into  two  large  islands  of  unequal  size,  the  larger  termina- 
ting at  Barentz  Land  away  to  the  north,  in  latitude  77°,  the  chief  interest 
in  which  is  connected  with  the  fate  of  the  early  navigator,  thus  com- 
memorated. An  account  of  his  voyage  has  been  given  in  its  proper 
place ;  but  a  fresh  interest  has  been  awakened  by  the  recent  discovery  of 
the  winter-house  erected  by  him  and  his  companions  at  Ice  Haven,  in 
Barentz  Bay,  on  the  east  coast  of  Barentz  Land,  a  few  minutes  north  of 
latitude  76°.  On  the  9th  of  September,  1871,  Capt.  Carlsen,  a  Norwe- 


704  DISCOVERY  OF  BARENTZ1  HOUSE. 

gian,  while  circumnavigating  Nova  Zembla,  discovered  the  house, 
with  many  interesting  relics,  in  a  remarkable  state  of  preservation, 
and  brought  them  home,  whence  they  found  their  way,  through  the  zeal 
of  Barentz's  countrymen  to  the  Hague,  where  they  are  carefully  pre- 
served. "  No  man,"  says  Markham,  "  has  entered  the  lonely  dwelling 
where  the  famous  discoverer  sojourned  during  the  long  winter  of  1596, 
for  nearly  three  centuries.  There  stood  the  cooking  pans  over  the  fire- 
place, the  old  clock  against  the  wall,  the  arms,  the  tools,  the  drinking- 
vessels,  the  instruments  and  the  books  that  beguiled  the  weary  hours  of 
that  long  night  275  years  before.  Perhaps  the  most  touching  relic  is 
the  pair  of  small  shoes.  There  was  a  little  cabin-boy  among  the  crew, 
who  died,  aS  Gerrit  de  Vere  tells  us,  during  the  winter.  This  accounts 
for  the  shoes  having  been  left  behind.  There  was  a  flute,  too,  once 
played  by  that  poor  boy,  which  still  gives  out  a  few  notes." 

The  more  southern  of  the  twin  islands  of  Nova  Zembla  is  separated 
from  Vaigats  Island,  to  the  south  by  the  Kara  Part,  or  passage  to  the 
Kara  Sea.  The  part  of  this  island  which  was  now  sighted  by  the  Vega's 
company  is  known  as  Gooseland,  because  of  the  great  numbers  of  geese 
aud  swans  which  breed  there.  By  the  end  of  June,  or  early  in  July,  the 
greater  part  of  Gooseland  is  free  of  snow,  and  soon  the  Arctic  flora  dis- 
closes all  its  splendor  for  a  few  weeks.  Giving  themselves  plenty  of 
sea-room,  but  in  the  main  following  the  trend  of  the  land,  they  proceeded 
to  the  southeast,  and  farther  on,  east-southeast,  to  Vaigats  Island,  of  which 
they  had  an  excellent  view,  the  air  being  exceptionally  clear.  From  the 
Murman  Sea  to  the  west  it  seemed  a  level,  grassy  plain,  but  on  approach- 
ing the  Sound,  low  ridges  were  seen  on  the  east  side,  which  were  re- 
garded by  Nordenskiold  as  the  last  spurs  of  the  great  Ural  Range. 
They  found  the  merchantmen  awaiting  them  when  they  arrived  at  Cha- 
barova  on  the  3Oth,  and  the  Lena  put  in  an  appearance  the  next  day. 
The  Fraser  and  Express  had  left  Vardoe  Island  off  the  northeast  coast 
of  Norway  on  the  I3th,  and  had  been  in  harbor  since  the  2oth. 

The  village  of  Chabarova  was  found  to  consist  of  a  Samoyed  en- 
campment and  several  cabins.  These  were  occupied  by  nine  Russian  trad- 
ers from  Pustosersk,  about  400  miles  distant,  on  the  Petchora,  with  their 


BARENTZ'  HOUSE.   (EXTERIOR.) 


BAKENTZ*  HOUSE.    (iNTKKIOR.) 


705 


706  SAM  Or  ED  LIFE. 

Samoyed  servants.  The  tents  were  occupied  by  a  Samoyed  tribe,  which 
make  this  its  usual  summer  rendezvous,  Vaigats  Island  affording  good 
pasturage  for  reindeer.  The  Russians  who  form  a  fishing  artel,  or  com- 
pany, quit  Pustosersk  after  Easter  and  return  about  the  middle  of  Octo- 
ber. Besides  their  equipments  for  fishing  they  bring  such  articles  as  are 
suited  for  trade  with  the  Samoyeds ;  and  with  barter,  fishing,  and  the  care 
of  reindeer,  of  which  they  own  several  hundred,  they  usually  make  a 
profitable  sojourn.  The  annual  product  of  train  oil  alone  ranges  from 
1,200  to  1,500  pounds,  of  which  their  patron  St.  Nicholas  receives  a  reg- 
ular tenth,  being  made  an  equal  shareholder  with  the  nine  active  mem- 
bers of  the  fishing  guild.  The  summer  occupations  of  the  Samoyeds  are 
similar,  and  in  winter  some  retire  to  Pustosersk,  while  others  proceed  to 
Western  Siberia,  where  corn  is  cheap.  They  own  great  herds  of  rein- 
deer, the  chief  man,  or  elder  of  the  tribe,  owning  about  a  thousand.  In- 
stead of  dividing  with  St.  Nicholas,  although  most  of  them  have  been 
baptized,  and  are  nominally  Christians,  they  reserve  their  pious  offerings 
for  the  shrines,  or  groves,  of  their  ancient  idols,  of  which  there  still  exist 
several  sanctuaries  on  Vaigats  Island.  They  have  been  known  to  make 
pilgrimages  of  a  thousand  miles  to  the  more  famous  altars,  or  places  of 
sacrifice,  of  the  ancient  religion.  The  Russians  call  the  Samoyed  idols 
bolvani,  that  is,  rude  images — equivalent  to  the  Samoyed  name,  sjadcei, 
from  sia,  physiognomy ;  and  exhibit  toward  them  a  sort  of  reverential 
respect.  Indeed,  each  party  is  getting  remarkably  tolerant  of  the  super- 
stitions of  the  others.  The  ikons  or  sacred  images  of  the  Russians  and 
the  bolvans  of  the  Samoyeds  hold  about  the  same  relation  in  the  reli- 
gious systems  of  their  respective  worshipers.  In  domestic  life  there  are 
two  important  differences  between  the  two  races,  one  in  favor  of  each  as 
factors  of  advancing  civilization.  "  The  Samoyed  has  one  or  more 
wives;  even  sisters  may  marry  the  same  man.  Marriage  is  entered  upon 
without  any  solemnity.  The  wives  are  considered  by  the  men  as  having 
equal  rights  with  themselves,  and  are  treated  accordingly,  which  is  very 
remarkable,  as"  the  Russians,  like  other  Christians,  consider  the  woman 
as  in  certain  respects  inferior  to  the  man."  Yet,  a  Samoyed 
wife-murderer  has  been  known  to  plead  in  his  own  defense  that 


THE  SUPREME  GOD  OF  THE  SAMOTEDS. 


707 


"he  had   honestly  paid  for  her,  and  could  surely  do  as  he  liked  with 
his  own." 

This  little  horde  temporarily  sojourning  at  Chabarova  is  one  of 
several  similar  bands  into  which  the  race  divides  up  for  convenience  of 
seeking  sustenance.  The  race  now  numbers  only  about  10,000  persons, 
and  the  scenes  of  their  nomadic  life  range  from  the  White  Sea  to  the 
Obi  and  Yenisei,  with  their  wide-spread  tundras,  extending  from  the 
forest  limits  in  latitude  67°  to  the  Polar  Sea.  The  European  portion  is 
divided  by  the  Petchora.  With  their  herds  of  reindeer  they  wander 


SAMOYED  SLEDGE. 


over  the  dreary  wastes,  or  hunt  in  the  boundless  forests  farther  south. 
Their  chief  intercourse  with  the  Russians  is  at  the  annual  fairs  of  Ob- 
dorsk  and  Pustosersk;  and  as  usual,  the  poor  barbarians  have  learned  the 
worst  vices  of  the  Europeans.  They  are  much  given  to  drunkenness, 
surpassing  their  Russian  teachers,— no  easy  task.  The  supreme  god  ot 
the  unconverted  Samoyed  is  Yilibeambaertye,  who  resides  in  the  air,  and 

the  hem  of  whose  garment  is  the  rainbow.     He  is  also  Called  Num,  per- 

. 
haps  borrowed  in  some  way  through  intercourse  with  other  races  from  the 

Latin  Numen,  a  divinity,  or  nomen,  a  name,  as  it  were  "he  of  the  unspeak- 


708  A    TADIBE. 

able  name."  Certain  it  is  that  they  regard  him  as  far  above  the  affairs  of 
men,  and  their  worship  is  mainly  directed  to  the  inferior  gods  repre- 
sented by  the  idols  above  referred  to.  Small  idols  they  carry  about  with 
them,  and  the  larger  ones  are  kept  in  the  sanctuaries  of  the  race.  In 
every  train  there  is  a  sledge  devoted  to  conveying  the  idols  of  the  whole 
tribe.  Among  the  household  gods,  or  hahe,  of  a  Samoyed,  is  one  to 
watch  over  the  health  of  his  family,  another  over  his  marital  relations,  a 
third  over  his  reindeer,  and  a  fourth  over  his  fishing  nets  and  other  im- 
plements of  the  chase  for  food  on  land  or  water.  Whenever  the  ser- 
vices of  any  of  these  is  required,  he  is  taken  from  his  repository,  his 
mouth  is  smeared  with  blood,  and  a  dish  of  fish  or  blood  is  set  before  him. 
When  his  aid  is  no  longer  required  he  is  hustled  away  into  his  receptacle, 
without  ceremony.  In  his  relations  with  these  he  is  his  own  priest;  but 
with  the  invisible  spirits  which  hover  about  in  the  air,  and  are  hostile  to 
man,  he  requires  the  services  of  a  tadibe  or  sorcerer.  This  worthy,  when 
discharging  the  duties  of  his  sacred  office,  wears  peculiar  robes,  a  red 
cloth  veils  his  face  and  eyes,  and  a  plate  of  polished  metal  shines  upon 
his  breast.  He  takes  his  drum  or  tambourine  and  walks  around  in  a  nar- 
row circle,  beating  the  instrument,  at  first  slowly  and  gently,  then  with 
increasing  energy,  while  he  chants  a  mystic  hymn.  Soon  the  frenzy 
grows,  his  eye  gleams  with  a  strange  fire,  he  foams  at  the  mouth,  he 
pounds  the  tambourine  with  increasing  and  spasmodic  violence,  and  the 
melody  becomes  a  raving  shriek,  or  savage  howl.  He  now  sits  down  and 
receives  the  message  of  the  spirit,  and  announces  it  to  the  interested 
party.  The  tadibes  do  not  seem  to  be  conscious  impostors;  they  are  in 
the  main,  self-deceived.  Some,  however,  know  how  to  practice  the  well- 
known  feats  of  jugglery  which  have  attracted  so  much  attention  nearer 
home.  A  smart  tadibe  will  take  his  seat  on  a  reindeer  skin,  or  on  a  chair, 
with  his  hands  and  feet  tied,  and  having  the  light  lowered  or  removed, 
will  proceed  to  summon  spirit  help  to  release  him  from  his  bonds.  Un- 
expected noises  announce  the  approach  of  the  helping  spirits — bears  are 
heard  to  growl,  snakes  to  hiss,  and  squirrels  to  whisk  their  tails.  The 
spirits  never  seem  able  to  do  anything  without  these  accompaniments — 
strange  that  they  never  utter  any  sounds  but  such  as  are  easily  within 


NATIVE  PECULIAR/TIES.  7(M) 

reach  of  man's  imitative  powers;  announce  nothing  that  is  beyond  his 
power  of  conjecture,  or  do  anything  that  a  professional  juggler  cannot 
do  as  well  without  their  aid.  A  wild  look,  haggard  face,  faded  or 
bloodshot  eyes,  a  shy  manner,  an  uncertain  gait,  and  shattered  nerves — 
resulting  from  these  periodic  excitements — mark  the  tadibes  among  their 
fellows. 

These  barbarians  honor  the  memory  of  their  dead  with  sacrifices 
and  ceremonies  for  three  years  after  their  decease,  it  being  assumed  that 
then  at  least  the  body  has  become  entirely  decomposed,  and  lost  all 
past  sensations.  They  place  within  or  on  the  grave  some  of  the  most 
necessary  implements  used  by  the  deceased.  They  have  great  respect 
for  the  sanctity  of  an  oath,  the  most  binding  form  being  over  the  snout 
of  a  bear,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  balvan,  which  they  will  make  of 
snow  or  other  convenient  material,  at  a  moment's  notice.  Their  appear- 
ance is  not  prepossessing — short  stature,  low  forehead,  small,  oblique,  flat 
nose,  prominent  jaws,  thick  lips,  jet-black,  horse-like  hair,  scant  beard, 
yellowish  complexion,  with  little  symmetry,  are  not  the  accepted  constit- 
ue'nts  of  "the .  glass  of  fashion,  and  the  mould  of  form."  The  male 
Samoyed  is  content  if  his  reindeer  suit  keep  him  dry  and  warm ;  and 
cares  little  for  the  cut  of  the  garment,  or  its  cleanliness.  The  younger 
females,  however,  evince  considerable  taste  in  dress.  Their  best  usually 
consists  of  a  long  garment  of  reindeer  skin,  fitting  closely  at  the  waist, 
and  hanging  in  graceful  folds  to  the  feet.  The  petticoat  has  two  or 
three  fringes  of  dogskin,  differently  colored,  with  strips  of  bright  cloth 
between;  and  the  boots  are  tastefully  embroidered.  But  it  is  to  the  or- 
namentation of  their  hair  that  they  devote  the  most  marked  attention. 
It  is  divided  into  two  long  braids  which  are  interwoven  with  bright-col- 
ored ribbons,  beads,  buttons,  and  sundry  metallic  trinkets.  These  are 
artistically  continued  by  straps,  which  are  similarly  ornamented  and  nearly 
reach  the  ground,  giving  the  impression  that  the  whole  is  a  luxuriant 
growth  of  jet-black  hair. 

Their  manner  of  life  has  developed  a  piercing  eye,  a  sharp  ear,  a 
steady  hand  and  a  fleet  foot,  but  taste  and  smell  are  either  defective  or 
obtuse.  They  are  good-natured,  phlegmatic,  and  inclined  to  melancholy; 


710  SIBIR1AKOFF  ISLAND— PORT  DICKSON. 

grateful,  hospitable,  and  kind ;  free  from  cruel  or  revengeful  feelings ;  but 
are  rather  given  to  indolence  and  a  sort  of  stoical  indifference  or  apathy, 
which  extends  to  even  the  final  exit  from  this  life.  Like  all  oppressed 
and  deceived  people  they  are  suspicious  of  their  more  crafty  neighbors; 
and  are  opposed  to  all  innovations,  not  unnaturally  suspecting  them  of 
being  disguised  injuries.  They  have  been  crowded  from  their  best  pas- 
tures and  within  narrower  limits  from  year  to  year;  and  while  recog- 
nizing their  inability  to  cope  with  the  stronger,  they  have  necessarily 
grown  sullen  and  suspicious.  Their  language  is  of  the  agglutinative 
type,  that  is,  the  relations  of  words  to  each  other  in  a  sentence  are  ex- 
pressed by  suffixes  or  terminations,  glued  on,  as  it  were,  at  the  end,  prep- 
ositions, prefixes  and  inflections  being  unknown,  and  the  plural  marked 
by  a  distinctive  suffix.  It  is,  however,  so  far  as  yet  known,  not  very 
closely  related  to  the  other  branches  of  the  so-called  Attaic  family. 

Nordenskiold's  expedition  quit  their  anchorage  off  Chabarova  on  the 
1st  of  August,  and  steamed  through  the  sound,  the  Fraser  towing  the 
Express  into  the  Kara  Sea,  which  extends  from  Nova  Zembla  to  Taimur 
Peninsula,  receiving  the  waters  of  the  Kara,  Obi,  Taz,  and  Yenisei 
through  the  gulfs  bearing  the  same  names.  It  was  found  that  "no  nota- 
ble portion  of  the  mass  of  fresh  water  which  these  great  rivers  pour  into 
the  Kara  Sea,  flows  through  Vaigats  Sound  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean; 
and  that  during  autumn  this  sea  is  quite  available  for  navigation."  On 
the  2d  they  met  no  ice ;  on  the  3d  only  ice  that  was  very  open  and 
rotten,  presenting  no  obstacle,  and  in  the  evening  arrived  in  sight  of 
the  large  island  of  Beli  Ostrov.  The  Lena  had  been  dispatched  ahead 
with  three  of  the  naturalists,  under  orders  to  pass  through  the  sound 
which  separates  it  from  the  peninsula  of  Yalmal.  On  the  6th,  passing 
Sibiriakoff  Island  in  the  mouth  of  the  Yenisei,  they  anchored  in  Port 
Dickson — 73°  30'  by  81° — on  Dickson  Island,  where  they  were  re- 
joined by  the  Lena  on  the  7th.  The  reader  will  recognize  the  names  of 
patrons  of  the  expedition  in  those  assigned  to  those  two  islands  in  the 
estuary  of  the  Yenisei.  Port  Dickson  had  been  so  named  in  Norden- 
skiold's first  voyage  thither  in  1875. 


CHAPTER    LXXVII. 

THE     VEGA     CONTINUES     HER     VOYAGE     TO     THE      NORTHEAST CAPE 

PALANDER KING    OSCAR     BAY THE    OLD    PROBLEM    SOLVED  — 

THE    NORTHERNMOST    POINT    OF  ASIA ANIMAL    LIFE THE    VEGA 

AND    LENA    PART    COMPANY NEW  ICE    BEGINS    TO    FORM  AROUND 

THE    VEGA — TCHUKTCHIS LIFE    AMONG    THE    NATIVES REACH 

CAPE    ONMAN. 

On  the  9th  of  August  the  Fraser  and  Express  left  Port  Dickson  on 
their  commercial  errand  higher  up  the  Yenisei,  and  on  the  loth  the  Vega 
and  Lena,  with  which  this  work  is  more  concerned,  weighed  anchor  for  the 
continuance  of  their  exploring  voyage  to  the  northeast.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  nth,  while  lying  to  in  a  fog,  Nordenskiold  and  three  natu- 
ralists landed  on  one  of  the  numerous  small  islands  in  the  estuary  of  the 
Pasina,  where  they  found  fifteen  species  of  flowering  plants — they  had 
found  seventeen  on  White  Island — six  species  of  birds,  but  no  mammalia, 
not  even  the  usual  polar  bear.  "By  afternoon  the  air  had  again  cleared 
somewhat,  so  that  we  could  sail  on.  A  piece  of  ice  was  seen  here  and 
there;  and  at  night  the  ice  increased  for  a  little  to  an  unpleasant  extent. 
Now,  however,  it  did  not  occur  in  such  quantity  as  to  prove  an  obstacle 
to  navigation  in  clear  weather,  or  in  known  waters.  On  the  I2th  we 
still  sailed  through  considerable  fields  of  scattered  drift-ice,  consisting 
partly  of  old  ice  of  large  dimensions,  partly  of  very  rotten  ice  of  the 
current  year.  It  formed,  however,  no  serious  obstacle  to  our  advance, 
and  nearer  the  shore  we  probably  would  have  had  quite  open  water,  but 
of  course  it  was  not  advisable  to  go  too  near  land  in  the  fog  and  un- 
known waters."  Later,  it  was  found  necessary  to  move  the  vessel  to 
an  ice-floe,  and  they  were  thus  held  through  fog  and  ice  until  the  I4th, 
when,  upon  a  partial  clearing-up  of  the  atmosphere,  they  steamed  for- 
ward toward  Taimur  Bay.  All  detentions  and  stoppages  were  of  course 

711 


712  NATURALISTS    NOTES. 

utilized  by  the  busy  naturalists  of  the  expedition.  Numerous  small 
islands  and  groups  had  been  discovered  since  leaving  Port  Dickson,  and 
named,  generally  after  some  of  the  scientists  and  officers.  The  northern 
point  of  the  West  Taimur  Peninsula  was  named  Cape  Palander.  But 
they  had  not  gone  far  under  steam  on 
the  I4th,  when  the  fog  again  compelled 
them  to  put  into  port.  Fortunately  an 
excellent  harbor  was  found  in  what  the 
commander  named  Actinia  Bay,  from 
the  large  number  of  actinias,  or  sea- 
anemones,  which  the  dredge  brought 
up  there.  It  is  an  inlet  of  Taimur 
Sound,  running  into  the  southwest 
coast  of  the  island  of  the  same  name, 
at  the  entrance  into  Taimur  Bay  from 
the  west.  Here  again  they  were  de- 
tained until  the  iSth,  using  the  time  in 
explorations  and  investigations.  They 
found  the  sound  too  shallow  to  be 
passed  through  by  large  vessels. 
Animal  life  was  scant;  some  few  rein- 
deer were  seen,  a  mountain  fox  was 
killed,  and  a  lemming  caught;  and  ten 
or  twelve  species  of  birds  were  seen, 
among  which  were  six  waders.  Of 
these  and  some  young  ptarmigans, 
quite  a  number  were.  shot.  Some 
thirty-four  species  of  flowering  plants 
were  noticed,  besides  the  usual  num-  ARCTIC  HAIR-STAR. 

ber  of  mosses  and  lichens.  A  walrus  had  been  seen  during  the  voyage 
from  Port  Dickson,  and  now  a  number  of  seals  were  found  floating 
on  the  ice  in  Taimur  Sound. 

Again   weighing  anchor   they    skirted   the   west   coast   of    Taimur 
Island,  threading  their  way   through  many   small  islands  still   partially 


THE   OLD  PROBLEM  SOLVED.  713 

enveloped  in  fog,  requiring  the  almost  constant  use  of  their  steam-whis- 
tles to  keep  from  separating,  but  encountering  no  obstacle  from  ice,  such 
as  was  met  being  mostly  rotten  river  and  bay  ice.  On  the  igth  the  fog 
still  continuing,  they  steamed  by  a  large,  high,  unbroken  field  of  ice, 
extending  from  a  small  bay  on  the  west  side  of  the  peninsula,  which 
caused  them  no  little  apprehension  that  they  might  find  it  impossible  to 
double  the  great  north  cape  of  Asia,  which  was  the  main  purpose  of  the 
expedition.  A  little  farther,  on  they  had  the  good  fortune  to  find,  just 
west  of  the  low -jutting  promontory — or  rather  in  the  fork  of  it — an  open 
bay  which  they  named  King  Oscar,  and  in  which  both  steamers  came 
safely  to  anchor  in  the  evening.  They  had  nowhere  met  such  old  drift- 
ice  as  is  encountered  north  of  Spitzbergen.  "  We  had  now  reached  a 
goal,"  says  Nordenskio'ld,  "  which  for  centuries  had  been  the  object  of 
unsuccessful  struggles.  For  the  first  time  a  vessel  lay  at  anchor  off  the 
northernmost  cape  of  the  Old  World.  No  wonder  then  that  the  occur- 
rence was  celebrated  by  a  display  of  flags,  and  the  firing  of  salutes,  and 
when  we  returned  from  our  excursion  on  land,  by  festivities  on  board,  by. 
wine  and  toasts.  The  north  point  of  Asia  forms  a  low  promontory, 
which  a  bay  divides  into  two,  the  eastern  arm  projecting  a  little  farther 
to  the  north  than  the  western.  A  ridge  of  hills  with  gently  sloping 
sides  runs  into  the  land  from  the  eastern  point,  and  appears  within  sight 
of  the  western  to  reach  a  height  of  300  metres  (984  feet).  Like  the 
plains  lying  below,  the  summits  of  this  range  were  nearly  free  of  snow. 
Only  on  the  sides  of  the  hills  or  of  the  deep  furrows  excavated  by  the 
streams  of  melted  snow,  and  in  dales  of  the  plains,  were  large  white 
snow-fields  to  be  seen.  A  low  ice-foot  still  remained  at  most  places  along 
the  shore;  but  no  glacier  rolled  its  bluish- white  ice-masses  down  the 
mountain  sides;  and  no  inland  lakes,  no  perpendicular  cliffs,  no  high 
mountain  summits,  gave  any  natural  beauty  to  the  landscape,  which  was 
the  most  monotonous  and  the  most  desolate  I  have  seen  anywhere  in  the 
High  North." 

Both  the  cape  and  the  immediate  tongue  of  land  back  of  it  are  now 
distinctively  known  as  Cape  Chelyuskin  and  Chelyuskin  Peninsula,  both 
in  the  honor  of  the  Russian  explorer  of  that  name,  previously  men- 


714 


ANIMAL    LIFE. 


tioned.  The  great  Taimur  Peninsula,  of  which  this  tongue  and  cape 
form  the  extreme  northern  projection,  is  now  further  divided  geograph- 
ically into  a  West  and  East  Taimur  Peninsula  by  the  Taimur  Lake  and 
River;  and  it  is  to  the  eastern  half  that  Chelyuskin  Peninsula  belongs. 
Here,  facing  the  north  pole  and  snuffing  something  he  had  never  snuffed 
before,  was  seen  a  polar  bear ;  but  while  Lieut.  Brusewitz  was  preparing 
to  pursue  him,  the  salute  to  Cape  Chelyuskin  had  scared  him  off,  and  he 
survived  to  lord  it  over  the  animal  creation  after  the  departure  of  his 


STAK-FISH    OF  NORTHERN    WATERS. 


enemies.  Twenty-three  species  of  incbnsiderable  flowering -plants  were 
found;  some  insects,  chiefly  the  podurx,  or  spring-tail,  a  few  flies,  and  a 
beetle.  Of  birds,  a  large  number  of  sand-pipers  and  barnacle-geese,  a 
loon,  some  kittiwakes  and  ivory-gulls  were  seen;  and  also  some  remains 
of  owls.  Of  mammalia,  the  solitary  bear  already  mentioned,  was  the 
only  live  representative  of  the  land  division;  but  traces  of  the  reindeer 
and  lemming  were  found  on  the  plains;  while  marine  mammals  were 
represented  by  a  walrus,  several  seals,  and  two  shoals  of  white  whales. 


THE    VE£A  AND  LENA  SEPARATE.  715 

The  position  of  Cape  Chelyuskin  was  determined  by  observations  on 
land,  but  with  an  artificial  horizon,  to  be  latitude  77°  36'  48"  and  103° 
17'  12". 

Quitting  King  Oscar  Bay  on  the  sist,  the  two  steamers  proceeded 
east-southeast  until  they  cleared  the  East  Taimur  Peninsula,  reaching 
77°  by  116°  on  the  22d,  after  much  conflict,  with  ice-floes.  Abandon- 
ing the  purpose  of  making  directly  southeast  for  the  islands  of  New 
Siberia,  because  of  the  ice-pack,  they  now  steamed  successively  to  every 
point  of  the  compass  in  the  effort  to  get  into  open  water.  On  the  23d 
they  were  still  badly  entangled,  and  made  but  little  progress,  having 
been  compelled  to  anchor  to  the  ice  twice  in  two  days;  but  as  usual,  these 
forced  detentions  were  made  available  for  scientific  investigation.  "  The 
yield  of  the  trawl  net  was  extraordinarily  abundant;  large  asterias,  crin- 
oids,  sponges,  holothuria,  a  gigantic  sea-spider  (pycnogonid),  masses  of 
worms,  crustacea,  etc.  It  was  the^ost  abundant  yield  that  the  trawl 
net  at  any  one  time  brought  up  during  the  whole  of  our  voyage  round 
the  coast  of  Asia,  and  this  from  the  s,ea  off  the  northern  extremity  of 
that  continent."  Finally,  at  8:45  in  the  evening  they  sighted  the  penin- 
sula to  the  west;  and  were  now  able  to  push  rapidly  to  the  south,  in  an 
open  smooth  sea,  seven  to  ten  kilometres — about  four  to  six  miles — from 
land,  under  a  northwesterly  breeze. 

On  the  24111,  proceeding  still  southward  at  about  the  same  distance 
from  land,  they  observed  a  chain  of  mountains  a  little  way  inland,  about 
2,000  to  3,000  feet  in  height,  and  like  the  plains  along  the  coast,  entirely 
free  from  snow.  At  noon,  with  no  ice  in  sight,  they  reached  Prev- 
braschenie  Island  at  the  entrance  to  Chantanga  Bay;  and  landing,  killed 
two  bears,  and  made  some  scientific  observations.  Weighing  anchor  at 
10:30,  and  passing  the  mouth  of  Nordvik  Bay  in  the  night,  they  reached 
the  north  coast  of  the  mainland  on  the  25th,  and  proceeded  due  east 
from  longitude  114;  along  which — but  in  the  main  a  little  to  the  west  of 
it — they  had  sailed  since  getting  clear  of  the  ice  to  the  north.  On  the 
26th  at  noon  they  were  in  longitude  122°,  and  at  night  encountered 
shoals  off  the  mouth  of  the  Olonek.  On  the  ensuing  night  the  Vega 
and  Lena  parted  company  in  the  open  sea  in  about  longitude  128°  30', 


716  THE  LENA  REACHES  IAKOUTSK. 

off  Tumat  Island,  about  40'  north  of  the  Lena  Delta.  Some  rockets 
were  fired  off,  and  Capt.  Johannesen  received  his  final  orders,  passport, 
and  copies  of  Russian  official  letters,  instructing  such  representatives  of 
that  nation  as  he  might  fall  in  with,  to  render  whatever  assistance  might 
be  needed.  During  the  whole  voyage  the  ships  had  encountered  much 
fog,  but  no  ice  of  any  consequence  until  after  passing-  Cape  Chelyuskin, 
and  then  only  when  they  struck  out  across  the  Polar  Sea  toward  New 
Siberia.  While  they  followed  the  coast  they  found  open  water,  always 
at  a  safe  distance  from  the  land  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  ice-pack  on  the 
other.  It  was  therefore  demonstrated  that,  at  least  in  seasons  as  favor- 
able as  1878,  the  whole  voyage  may  be  made  without  meeting  any 
serious  obstruction  from  ice.  The  Lena  reached  lakoutsk  on  the  2ist  of 
September  amid  great  rejoicings,  being  the  first  ocean-steamer  that  had 
ever  reached  that  far  inland  city,  about  800  miles  from  the  sea. 

After  parting  with  the  Lena,  as  stated,  the  Vega  kept  on  to  the  east, 
reaching  132°  at  noon  of  the  28th,  and  sighting  Stolbovoi  Island  in  the 
afternoon.  The  29th  was  spent  in  working  around  through  rotten  ice, 
causing  some  detention,  and  compelling  them  to  proceed  to  the  north  of 
Stolbovoi,  and  then  southeast  toward  Liackov  or  Lachow  Island,  reach- 
ing 140°  at  noon  of  the  3Oth.  Finding  ice  heaped  up  in  rather  forbid- 
ding quantity  on  the  west  coast  of  the  island,  Nordenskiold  relinquished 
his  purpose  of  landing ;  and  the  Vega  kept  on  her  way  to  the  southeast, 
passing  the  famous  Sviatoi  Noss,  the  northernmost  point  of  the  mainland 
opposite  the  New  Siberian  Islands,  in  the  night.  They  here  noticed 
new  ice  beginning  to  form,  though  the  temperature  by  their  instruments 
was  not  quite  as  low  as  the  freezing  point.  On  the  ist  of  September 
they  were  at  150°,  about  one  degree  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Indi- 
girka,  and  on  the  2d  the  temperature  fell  to  one  degree  below  zero.  On 
the  3d  snow  began  to  fall,  and  when  they  arrived  off  Bear  Islands,  north 
of  the  mouth  of  Kolyma,  both  vessel  and  land  were  lightly  covered  with 
it.  The  channel  west  and  south  of  the  islands,  through  which  they 
passed,  was  almost  free  of  ice,  but  a  little  further  out  ice  was  abundant, 
and  on  the  4th,  east  of  the  islands,  heavy  masses  were  found  to  have 
drifted  south,  compelling  the  Vega  to  bear  down  nearer  the  coast  toward 


TCHUKTCHIS.  717 

the  Greater  Baranow  Rock.  Indeed,  ever  since  doubling  Sviatoi  Noss, 
the  ice  seen  was  more  like  that  to  be  met  off  Spitzbergen,  than  any  they 
had  hitherto  encountered  on  this  voyage ;  but  no  icebergs  or  large  glacier 
blocks  had  been  met  or  sighted.  On  the  5th  they  were  off  the  mouth 
of  the  Baranicha,  so  often  mentioned  in  the  account  of  Wrangell's  sledge- 
journeys,  boldly  steaming  through  some  of  the  scenes  of  his  greatest 
perils,  and  making  about  fifty  miles  a  day.  Passing  the  entrance  to 
Tchaun  Bay  in  the  night,  they  reached  Cape  Schelagskoi  at  4  o'clock  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  6th. 

The  monotony  of  the  voyage  was  at  length  about  to  be  relieved. 
They  received  their  first  visit  from  natives.  Two  boats,  not  unlike  the 
oomiaks  of  the  Esquimaux,  set  out  from  the  land,  fully  laden  with  men, 
women  and  children,  clamoring  to  be  taken  aboard  the  Vega.  These  of 
course  were  the  reader's  old  acquaintances,  the  Tchuktchi  of  these  re- 
gions. "  The  type  of  face,"  says  Nordenskiold,  "  did  not  strike  one  as 
so  unpleasant  as  that  of  the  Samoyeds  or  Esquimaux.  Some  of  the 
young  girls  were  not  even  absolutely  ugly.  In  comparison  with  the 
Samoyeds  they  were  even  rather  cleanly,  and  had  a  beautiful,  almost 
reddish-white  complexion."  They  were  dismissed  with  gifts  of  tobacco 
and  pipes,  besides  trinkets  and  clothing,  and  went  off  rejoicing.  On  the 
8th,  being  beset  by  fog  and  ice,  the  Vega  anchored,  and  her  company 
went  ashore,  invited  by  the  natives,  who  continued  to  make  a  favorable 
impression  on  their  visitors.  "Children,  healthy  and  thriving,  tenderly 
cared  for  by  the  inhabitants,  were  found  in  large  numbers.  The  younger 
were  treated  with  marked  friendliness,  and  the  older  ones  were  never 
heard  to  utter  an  angry  word.  The  women  were  treated  as  the  equals 
of  the  men,  and  the  wife  was  always  consulted  by  the  husband  when  a 
more  important  bargain  than  usual  was  to  be  made.  The  dwellings  con- 
sisted of  roomy  skin  tents,  which  inclose  a  sleeping  chamber,  hexagonal 
in  form,  hung  with  warm,  well-prepared  reindeer  skins,  and  lighted  and 
warmed  by  one  or  more  train  oil  lamps.  It  is  here  that  the  family  sleep 
during  summer,  and  here  most  of  them  live,  day  and  night,  during  win- 
ter. In  summer — less  frequently  in  winter — a  fire  is  lighted,  besides,  in 
the  outer  tent  with  wood,  for  which  purpose  a  hole  is  opened  in  the  top 


718  BORING   THROUGH  THE  PACK. 

of  the  raised  tent- roof.  But  to  be  compelled  to  use  wood  for  heating 
the  inner  tent  the  Tchuktchis  consider  the  extreme  of  scarcity  of  fuel." 

Though  there  was  no  village  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  there  was  no 
lack  of  visitors,  and  the  report  of  their  arrival  seemed  to  have  spread  very 
rapidly.  The  Swedes  had  but  few  articles  of  barter,  and  soon  got  rid  of 
their  stock  of  tobacco  and  Dutch  pipes.  Getting  ready  to  sail  on  the 
loth,  they  could  make  but  little  headway,  and  lay  to  in  the  ice  during  the 
.light;  but  by  keeping  quite  close  to  the  shore  they  were  able  to  creep 
along,  again  lying  to  on  the  night  of  the  nth.  This  was  at  Irkaipie, 
Cook's  Cape  North,  longitude  180°,  whence  Wrangell  tried  in  vain  to 
sight  "the  alleged  inhabited  northern  country."  On  the  1 2th,  beyond 
Cape  North,  the  Vega  at  last  found  her  way  blocked  by  the  ice-pack, 
and  turning  back,  found  temporary  refuge  near  the  cape,  where  they 
were  detained  by  the  untoward  condition  of  the  ice  until  the  i8th.  Be- 
sides the  usual  scientific  investigations,  some  remains  of  the  Oukilon  or 
Coast  race,  here  occupied  the  attention  of  the  scientists.  "A  large  num- 
ber of  house-sites,  and  implements  of  stone,  bone  and  slate,  were  found; 
also  middens,  or  refuse  heaps,  containing  bones  of  several  species  of 
whales,  and  of  the  seal,  walrus,  reindeer,  bear,  dog,  fox,  and  various  kinds 
of  birds." 

Growing  impatient  of  detention,  they  pushed  forward  on  the  iSth, 
and  after  struggling  almost  constantly  with  ice,  reached  Cape  Onman  on 
the  26th.  At  times  boring  through  the  ice  with  the  strong  bows  of  the 
Vega;  at  others  moored  to  a  floe,  or  grounded  mass;  sometimes  with 
only  a  foot  of  water  under  the  keel ;  at  others  aground  on  shore-ice, 
awaiting  high  tide,  while  axes,  picks  and  poles  are  brought  into  active 
service,  they  worked  their  tedious  way,  making  not  quite  twenty  miles 
of  actual  advance  in  nine  days,  four  of  which,  however,  were  lost,  in  two 
equal  periods  of  forced  inaction.  On  the  27th,  steering  south  a  little 
way  into  Kolyutchin  Bay,  to  avoid  the  ice  surrounding  the  island  of  the 
same  name  at  its  entrance,  and  then  east  to  resume  their  direct  course, 
they  anchored  in  the  afternoon  to  a  floe  near  the  eastern  shore.  The  next 
day  they  doubled  the  headland,  and  crept  forward,  hoping  to  make  their 
way  through  Behring's  Straits  to  some  of  the  Pacific  islands. 


CHAPTER    LXXVIII. 

THE    VEGA    IN     WINTER     QUARTERS THE     USUAL     PREPARATIONS  — 

THE  AVERAGE    COLD THE    HOME    OF  HONESTY NORDENSKIOLO's 

EXCURSION    TO    PIDLIN CELEBRATION     OF    CHRISTMAS VISITORS 

AT  THE  VEGA AURORAL    DISPLAYS COMMENTS  ON  THE  ANIMAL 

LIFE     OF     THE     REGION A     TCHUKTCHI     GRAVEYARD THE    AP- 
PROACH   OF    RELEASE. 

On  the  29th,  finding  no  lane,  lead  or  outlet  through  the  pack,  the 
Vega  was  moored  to  a  mass  of  ground  ice,  130  feet  long,  80  wide  and 
20  high,  which  afforded  a  fair  shelter,  but  no  proper  haven.  This,  how- 
ever, proved  to  be  the  winter  quarters,  except  that  later  on  ship  and  shel- 
ter were  pushed  by  the  outer  ice  to  within  seven-eighths  of  a  mile  of  the 
coast.  Soon  the  ice-belt  which  had  obstructed  their  advance  grew  from 
six  or  seven  to  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  wide,  and  there  was  no  longer, 
any  hope  of  getting  away  until  the  ensuing  summer.  Their  exact  posi- 
tion was  ascertained  to  be  in  latitude  67°  4'  49"  north,  and  longitude 
173°  23'  2"  west — 180°  east,  half  the  circumference  from  Greenwich, 
had  been  passed  at  Cape  North.  "  It  was  an  unexpected  disappoint- 
ment," says  Nordenskiold,  "  which  it  was  the  more  difficult  to  bear  with 
equanimity,  as  it  was  evident  that  we  would  have  avoided  it  if  we  had 
come  some  hours  earlier  to  the  eastern  side  of  Kolyutchin  Bay.  There 
were  numerous  occasions  during  the  preceding  part  of  our  voyage  on 
which  these  hours  might  have  been  saved.  The  Vega  did  not  require  to 
stay  so  long  at  Port  Dickson;  we  might  have  saved  a  day  at  Taimur 
Island;  have  dredged  somewhat  less  west  of  the  New  Siberian  Islands, 
and  so  on ;  and  above  all,  our  long  stay  at  Irkaipie,  waiting  for  an  im- 
provement in  the  state  of  the  ice,  was  fatal,  because  at  least  three  days 
were  lost  there  without  any  change  for  the  better  taking  place." 

It  scarcely  needs  be  said  that,  as  soon  as  it  was  fully  understood  that 

719 


720  AVERAGE  COLD— STATE  OF  HEALTH. 

this  was  indeed  their  utmost  limit  for  the  year  1878,  they  set  themselves  to 
work  diligently  to  make  the  best  of  it.  The  usual  preparations  were 
made  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  men ;  an  observatory  was  erected, 
and  various  scientific  experiments  were  set  on  foot.  To  guard  against 
the  not  impossible  contingency  of  grave  disaster  to  the  ship  during  the 
anticipated  prevalence  of  severe  storms  later  on,  a  depot  of  provisions 
was  established  ashore,  containing  necessary  stores  and  provisions  for 
sixty  men  for  100  days.  "The  stores,"  says  Nordenskiold,  "were  laid 
upon  the  beach  without  the  protection  of  lock  or  bolt,  covered  only 
with  sails  and  oars,  and  no  watch  was  kept  at  the  place.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  and  the  want  of  food  which  occasionally  prevailed  among  the 
natives,  it  remained  untouched  by  the  Tchuktchis  who  lived  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  by  those  who  daily  drove  past  the  place  from  distant 
regions.  All,  however,  knew  very  well. the  contents  of  the  sail-covered 
heap;  and  they  undoubtedly  supposed  that  there  were  to  be  found  there 
treasures  of  immense  value,  and  provisions  enough  for  the  whole  popula- 
tion of  the  Tchuktchi  peninsula  for  a  whole  year." 

The  average  greatest  cold  for  the  first  five  months  of  detention — 
October  to  February — was  35°  below  zero;  the  lowest  point  reached 
being  45.7°,  on  the  2$th  of  January;  and  for  the  remaining  five  months 
24°,  the  highest  being  i°  below  zero,  on  the  2d  of  July.  The  state  of 
health  on  board  during  the  course  of  the  winter  was  exceedingly  good, 
there  being  but  few  cases  of  serious  indisposition,  mostly  stomach  colds 
and  slight  lung  inflammations,  all  of  which  yielded  readily  to  medical 
treatment,  and  not  a  single  case  of  scurvy.  There  were  about  300  na- 
tives, in  the  vicinity  of  the  ship,  including  those  on  Kolyutchin  Island, 
all,  except  the  islanders,  within  a  distance  of  five  miles.  "  Dog  team  af- 
ter dog-team  stood  all  day  in  rows,  or  more  correctly,  lay  snowed  up, 
before  the  ice-built  flight  of  steps  to  the  deck  of  the  Vega,  patiently 
waiting  for  the  return  of  the  visitors,  or  for  the  pemmican  I  now  and  then 
from  pity  ordered  to  be  given  to  the  hungered  animals.  We  soon  had 
visits  from,  even  distant  settlements,  and  the  Vega  finally  became  a  rest- 
ing-place at  which  every  passer-by  stopped  with  his  dog-team  for  some 
hours  in  order  to  satisfy  his  curiosity,  or  to  obtain  in  exchange  for  good 


NORDENSKIOLD    VISITS  PIDLIN.  721 

words,  or  some  more  acceptable  wares,  a  little  warm  food,  a  bit  of 
tobacco,  and  sometimes,  when  the  weather  was  very  stormy,  a  little 
drop  of  spirits.  We  had  not,  however,  to  lament  the  loss  of  the  mer- 
est trifle.  Honesty  was  as  much  at  home  here  as  in  the  huts  of  the 
reindeer  Lapps. 

"  On  the  5th  of  October  the  openings  between  the  drift-ice  fields 
next  the  vessel  were  covered  with  splendid  skating  ice,  of  which  we 
availed  ourselves  by  celebrating  a  gay  and  joyous  skating  festival." 
On  the  6th  they  received  a  visit  from  Vassili  Menka,  a  chief  or  elder  of 
the  reindeer  Tchuktchis;  and  on  the  8th  Nordquist  and  Hovgaard  started 
with  him  from  his  encampment,  not  far  from  the  ship,  for  the  inte- 
rior, to  buy  reindeer,  and  explore  the  country.  The  sledges  were  drawn 
by  ten,  nine,  and  five  dogs,  in  the  ratio  of  the  weight  of  each,  and  re- 
turned in  the  evening  of  the  i  ith,  having  gone  beyond  Lake  Utchunutch, 
and  bought  two  slaughtered  reindeer  at  about  $1.25  each.  Through 
Menka,  four  months  later,  though  the  agreement  was  made  at  this  time, 
Nordenskiold  sent  letters  to  the  Anadyrsk,  where  he  arrived  on  the  yth 
of  March,  1879.  Conveyed  thence  to  lakoutsk,  which  took  until  the 
loth  of  May,  the  first  news  from  the  winter  quarters  of  the  expedition  was 
received  in  Sweden,  by  telegraph,  on  the  i6th  of  May — "just  at  a  time 
when  concern  for  the  fate  of  the  Vega  was  beginning  to  be  very  great, 
and  the  question  of  relief  expeditions  was  seriously  entertained." 

Matters  being  in  good  shape  at  the  ship,  Nordenskiold  made  an  ex- 
cursion to  the  native  settlement  of  Pidljn,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Kolyut- 
chin  Bay,  distant  about  a  dozen  miles,  to  learn  something  of  the  domes- 
tic habits  and  peculiarities  of  the  Tchuktchis.  He  enjoyed  their  hospi- 
tality for  a  night,  which  seemed  to  be  as  much  as  he  could  stand  at  one 
time,  and  returned  the  next  day,  having  noted  a  few  of  their  supersti- 
tions, as  well  as  the  great  heat  and  stench  of  their  tents.  On  the  other 
hand,  "All  sensible  people  among  them  had  evidently  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  was  profitless  trouble  to  seek  a  seasonable  explanation  of 
all  the  follies  which  the  strange  foreigners,  richly  provided  with  many 
earthly  gifts,  but  by  no  means  with  practical  sense,  perpetrated."  Visits 
to  and  from  the  natives,  hunting  and  scientific  excursions,  the  routine  of 
46 


722  HOPE    OF  RELEASE. 

duties  aboard  ship,  filled  the  days  and  weeks.  "One  day  was  very  like 
another.  When  the  storm  howled,  the  snow  drifted,  and  the  cold  be- 
came too  severe,  we  kept  more  below  deck;  when  the  weather  was  finer, 
we  lived  more  in  the  open  air,  often  paying  visits  to  the  observatory  in 
the  ice-house,  and  among  the  Tchuktciiis  living  in  the  neighborhood,  or 
wandering  about,  to  come,  if  possible,  upon  some  game." 

On  the  15th  of  December  there  was  a  violent  movement  of  the  ice, 
but  without  injury  to  the  ship;  and  on  the  i8th  a  lane  was  seen  to  the 
north,  but  it  was  soon  closed  by  drift-ice.  A  week  later  they  celebrated 
Christmas  in  a  joyous  and  festive  manner.  "A  large  number  of  small 
wax-lights,  which  we  had  brought  with  us  for  the  special  purpose,  were 
fixed  in  the  Christmas  tree,  together  with  about  two  hundred  Christmas 
boxes  purchased,  or  presented  to  us,  before  our  departure.  At  6  P.  M. 
all  the  officers  and  crew  assembled  in  the  'tween-decks,  which  had  been 
richly  and  tastefully  ornamented  with  flags,  and  the  drawing  of  lots  be- 
gan," followed  by  supper,  songs,  toasts,  and  general  good-fellowship.  A 
week  later,  the  new  year,  1879,  "was  shot  in  with  sharp  explosive-shell 
firing  from  the  rifled  cannon  of  the  Vega,  and  a  number  of  rockets 
thrown  up  from  the  deck."  With  it  came  some  hope  of  release.  The 
north  winds  had  recently  given  way  to  the  warm  south  winds,  creating 
considerable  cleanings  out  to  sea;  but  the  Vega's  ice-fetters  remained  un- 
disturbed. Again,  on  the  6th  of  February,  the  thermometer  rose  to 
above  freezing  point,  and  open  water  of  great  extent  was  visible  to  the 
north;  the  Tchuktchis  killed  a  polar  bear  and  seventy-eight  seals,  and 
reveled  in  temporary  luxury,  or  abundance  of  food,  lightening  the  tax  on 
the  ship's  supplies,  and  putting  a  stop  to  the  begging  importunity  of  the 
poor  natives ;  but  there  was  still  no  chance  of  release  for  the  ship. 

On  the  1 7th  of  February  Lieut.  Brusewitz  made  a  sledge  excursion 
to  Naitskai,  along  shore  to  the  east,  about  ten  miles  from  winter  quarters; 
and  on  his  return  reported  hospitable  entertainment,  and  abundance  of 
seals  in  the  tents  of  the  natives.  He  saw  eight  hares,  and  a  fox,  but  no 
ptarmigans.  On  the  2Oth  three  large  Tchuktchi  sledges,  drawn  by  six- 
teen to  twenty  dogs,  and  laden  with  goods  for  Nishni  Kolymsk,  arrived 
at  the  Vega.  By  these  letters  were  sent,  which  it  was  afterward  ascer- 


724  A  HUMANE  SAVAGE. 

tained  reached  the  Kolyma  on  the  4th  of  April,  and  Sweden  on  the  zd 
of  August.  Early  in  March  a  number  of  laden  dog-sledges  passed  to 
the  east  on  their  way  from  Cape  Irkaipie  to  Behring's  Straits  for  pur- 
poses of  trade  with  the  natives  of  the  islands  of  the  North  Pacific,  and 
Alaska.  These  were  followed,  after  the  middle  of  the  month,  by  larger 
reindeer-sledges  laden  with  reindeer  skins  and  Russian  goods,  from  the 
fair  of  Ostrovnoi,  for  the  same  market. 

On  the  lyth  of  March  Lieut.  Palander  and  Dr.  Kjellman  made  an 
excursion  eleven  miles  to  the  south,  to  buy  reindeer-flesh;  they  found  the 
reindeer-camp  and  the  owner,  by  whom  they  were  hospitably  enter- 
tained, but  who  declined  to  sell  on  any  terms,  as  the  animals  were,  he 
said,  too  lean  to  be  slaughtered.  His  treatment  of  his  stock  won  the  ad- 
miration of  the  visitors:  "It  was  not  the  grim,  hard  savage  showing  in 
a  coarse  and  barbarous  way  his  superiority  over  the  animals,  but  the 
good  master  treating  his  inferiors  kindly,  and  having  a  friendly  word 
and  gentle  touch  for  each  of  them.  Here  good  relations  prevailed  be- 
tween man  and  the  animals.  The  owner  went  forward  and  saluted 
every  reindeer;  they  were  allowed  to  stroke  his  hands  with  their  noses. 
He,  on  his  part,  took  every  reindeer  by  the  horn,  and  examined  it  in  the 
most  careful  way."  A  trip,  aoth  to  25th,  was  made  by  Brusewitz, 
Nordquist,  and  three  others  of  the  ship's  company,  with  a  Tchuktchi 
guide,  to  Lake  Nutschoityin,  to  fish  and  explore. 

On  the  1 9th  of  April  Lieut.  Bove  and  a  companion  made  a  three 
days'  excursion  along  shore  to  the  east,  reaching  the  village  of  Tiapka, 
some  fifteen  miles  distant;  and  two  months  later,  he  and  Dr.  Almquist 
made  a  four  days'  excursion  to  the  interior,  when  they  penetrated  about 
thirty  miles  southwest  to  near  the  eastern  shore  of  Kolyutchin  Bay.  It 
will  be  noticed  that  all  these  excursions  from  the  Vega  were  of  short 
duratipn,  which  was  due  to  the  commander's  natural  unwillingness  to 
permit  long  absences  from  the  ship,  because  of  her  exposed  condition.  A 
few  days'  violent  storm  from  the  south  or  southeast  might  at  any  time 
place  her  in  jeopardy.  In  May  they  had  only  a  few  hours  of  mild 
weather;  and  even  on  the  3d  of  June  the  thermometer  stood  14°  below 
zero;  but  on  the  131!!  it  rose  to  8°  below,  and  during  the  day,  a  southerly 


I 
AURORAL  DISPLAT.  725 

breeze  sprang  up  which  put  an  end  to  the  coid  weather.     Thence  on,  the 
mercury  only  exceptionally  fell  below  the  freezing  point. 

Throughout  the  winter  and  spring  there  were  frequent  auroral  dis- 
plays, which  were  observed  with  great  minuteness  of  detail,  and  have 
been  published  separately.  Their  value  and  interest  did  not,  as  in  many 
other  Arctic  voyages,  arise  from  any  special  brilliancy  of  coloring  or  ex- 
ceptional phenomena,  but  from  their  continuous  and  almost  uniform  ap- 
pearance, which  afforded  excellent  opportunities  for  accurate  measure- 
ment and  scientific  investigation  of  the  common  auroral  arc.  Most 
Polar  expeditions  have  wintered  too  far  north  for  this  purpose,  and  have 
usually  witnessed  only  the  more  gorgeous  occasional  ray  and  drapery 
auroras,  or  exceptional  aurora  storms,  the  common  arc  lying  almost  or 
quite  under  their  horizon. 

It  was  noticed  that  the  migratory  birds  arrived  in  fewer  numbers  but 
in  much  greater  variety  than  at  Nova  Zembla,  Spitzbergen,  or  Green- 
land. The  most  common  of  the  mammalia  was  the  hare  in  little  flocks 
of  five  or  six;  three  species  of  foxes  were  also  seen  in  considerable  num- 
bers; and  of  the  lemming  the  same  number  of  varieties.  The  wolf  ano!_ 
wild  reindeer  had  a  few  representatives;  and  traces  of  the  hibernating 
land-bear  and  marmot  were  also  seen.  The  otter,  beaver  and  weasel, 
were  described  by  the  Tchuktchis,  and  two  skins  of  the  last-named  were 
obtained  from  them,  but  no  living  representative  of  any  of  the  three  was 
encountered.  The  Polar  bear,  in  a  few  instances,  and  the  bristled  seal, 
in  great  numbers,  were  seen ;  and  of  the  latter  many  were  killed  by  the 
Tchuktchis,  constituting  their  staple  food.  Nearly  one  hundred  distinct 
species  of  plants  were  noted,  of  which  more  than  half  are  indigenous 
to  the  Scandinavian  Peninsula;  and  the  earliest  date  of  flowering  was 
the  2$d  of  June.  A  few  flies  had  been  noticed  on  a  particularly  pleas- 
ant day  four  weeks  before  this  time,  but  it  was  not  until  the  end  of  June 
that  insects  appeared  in  any  considerable  numbers. 

On  the  ipth  of  June  the  Vega  was  visited  by  a  Christianized 
Tchuktchi,  named  Noah  Elisei,  who  had  been  sent  forward  by  Russian 
officials  at  Nishni  Kolymsk  in  the  hope  of  being  of  service  to  the  expe- 
dition. The  chief,  if  not  only,  advantage  derived  was  in  the  barter  of 


AURORAL  DISPLAY  SEEN  FROM  THE  VBGA. 


726 


A    TCHUKTCHT  GRAVETARD.  727 

three  reindeer  for  tea,  sugar,  and  tobacco,  besides  numerous  gratuities  to 
Elisei,  his  two  wives,  and  his  large  family  of  children. 

Among  the  last  excursions  was  one  to  a  Tchuktchi  graveyard  by  Dr. 
Stuxberg,  of  which  he  gives  the  following  account:  "The  Tchuktchi 
graves  on  the  heights  south  of  Pitlekai  and  Inretlen  (perhaps  two  miles' 
from  the  Vega),  which  were  examined  by  me  on  the  4th  and  yth  of 
July,  1879,  were  nearly  fifty  in  number.  Every  grave  consisted  of  an 
oval  formed  of  large  stones  laid  flat.  At  one  end  there  was  generally  a 
large  stone  raised  on  its  edge,  and  from  the  opposite  end  there  went  out 
one  or  two  pieces  of  wood  lying  on  the  ground.  The  area  within  the 
stone  circle  was  sometimes  overlaid  with  small  stones,  sometimes  free,  and 
overgrown  with  grass.  At  all  the  graves,  at  a  distance  of  four  to  seven 
paces  from  the  stone  standing  on  its  edge,  in  the  longitudinal  axis  of  the 
grave,  or  a  little  to  the  side  of  it,  there  was  another  small  circle  of  stones, 
inclosing  a  heap  of  reindeer  horns,  commonly  containing  also  broken 
seals'  skulls  and  other  fragments  of  bones.  On  only  one  grave  were  found 
pieces  of  human  bones.  The  graves  were  evidently  very  old,  for  the 
bits  of  wood  at  the  ends  were  generally  much  decayed,  and  almost 
wholly  covered  with  earth;  and  the  stones  were  completely  overgrown 
with  lichens  on  the  upper  side.  I  estimate  the  age  of  these  graves  at 
about  two  hundred  years."  '•'  « 

At  length  the  moment  of  release  approached.  The  temperature  had 
remained  below  freezing  point  to  the  middle  of  June.  On  the  I4th, 
however,  there  was  a  sudden  change  to  milder  weather.  A  heavy  thaw 
set  in,  and  the  coast  land  was  so  covered  with  mud  and  slush  that  all  ex- 
cursions had  to  be  discontinued.  But  the  ice  which  bound  the  ship  was 
still  so  strong  that  the  explorers  did  not  expect  to  be  able  to  leave  before 
August.  Throughout  their  stay  there  had  been  open  water  seaward,  but 
usually  at  a  great  distance  from  the  ship.  "On  the«i6th  of  July,"  says 
Nordenskiold,  "  a  heavily  laden  double  sledge  could  still  be  driven  from 
the  vessel  to  the  shore";  and  the  next  day  the  year's  ice  around  them 
began  to  break  up,  but  the  ground-ice  was  still  undisturbed,  and  it  was 
judged  that  several  days  would  elapse  before  they  could  get  clear.  So 
the  commander  determined  to  take  the  steam  launch  to  sea,  and  visit 


7?8 


THE    VEGA   FREE. 


some  whalers  reported  by  the  natives  to  be  off  Serdze  Kamen.  But  by 
1 130  on  the  1 8th,  when  almost  ready  to  set  out,  there  was  noticed  a 
movement  of  the  ice  which  held  the  Vega.  An  hour  later  Palander, 
wfio  was  prepared  for  every  emergency,  had  steam  up;  and  in  another 
hour,  the  ship  was  free.  At  3 :  30  she  steamed  away,  first  a  little  to  the 
west  to  get  clear  of  the  floe,  and  then  in  the  right  direction,  eastward  for 
Serdze  Kamen  and  Behring's  Strait,  encountering  no  further  obstruction 
from  the  ice  thenceforth  to  the  close  of  the  »voyage.  The  detention  in 
winter  quarters  had  lasted  293  days. 


CHAPTER    LXXIX 

FREED     FROM     HER     MOORINGS DIOMEDE      ISLAND ST.     LAWRENCE 

ISLAND NORDENSKI5LD    REACHES    A    TELEGRAPH    STATION — AT 

YOKOHAMA A    SERIES    OF    FESTIVALS AT    HONG    KONG CEYLON 

CHRISTMAS    AT     SEA THE     SUEZ     CANAL A     RECEPTION     AT 

BOULOGNE THE      GRAND      CELEBRATION COMMENTS      ON      THE 

EXPEDITION. 

No  sooner  had  the  vessel  swung  loose  from  her  moorings  and  got 
outside  the  few  masses  of  ice  that  had  formed  her  winter  haven  "than  she 
found  an  ice-free  lead  to  the  east,  and  encountered  no  further  obstacles 
on  her  way  to  the  Pacific.  In  ten  hours  they  passed  Serdze  Kamen,  in 
172°  west,  and  steering  thence  southeast,  they  arrived  off  Cape  East  in 
Behring's  Strait  on  the  morning  of  the  2Oth,  and  at  1 1  o'clock,  being 
about  midway  between  the  Arctic  and  Pacific  Oceans,  "The  Vega  greeted 
the  Old  and  New  Worlds  by  a  display  of  flags,  and  the  firing  of  a 
Swedish  salute."  Thus  finally  was  reached  the  goal  toward  which  so 
many  nations  had  struggled,  all  along  from  the  time  when  Sir  Hugh 
Willoughby  with  the  firing  of  salutes  from  cannon,  and  with  hurrahs 
from  the  festive-clad  seamen,  in  the  presence  of  an  innumerable  crowd  of 
jubilant  men,  certain  of  success,  ushered  in  the  long  series  of  Northeast 
Voyages,  326  years  before. 

The  prevalence  of  fog  rendered  unadvisable  a  landing,  otherwise  much 
desired,  "  at  Diomede  Island,  the  famous  market-place  of  the  polar  tribes, 
situated  in  the  narrowest  part  of  the  Straits,  nearly  half-way  between 
Asia  and  America;  and  probably  before  the  time  of  Columbus,  a  station 
for  traffic  between  the  "  Old  and  New  Worlds."  They  first  cast  anchor 
in  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  where  various  expeditions  and  investigations 
among  the  tribes  on  the  east  coast  of  the  Tchuktchi  Peninsula  were  zeal- 
ously taken  up,  but  only  for  a  single  day,  as  the  commander  was  anxious 

729 


730  AN  ARCTIC   COLONY. 

to  reach  a  telegraph  station  to  communicate  the  safety  of  the  expedition 
to  the  king  and  people  of  Sweden,  and  the  world  at  large.  Steaming 
across  to  the  American  side  they  anchored  in  Port  Clarence,  where  they 
were  soon  called  upon  by  the  Esquimaux  for  interchange  of  civilities, 
gifts,  and  barter.  Here  they  remained  until  the  26th,  when  the  Vega 
recrossed  to  the  Tchuktchi  peninsula,  farther  to  the  south  than  before, 
and  anchored  in  Konyam  Bay  on  the  28th.  The  mountains  were  high 
and  split  up  into  pointed  summits  with  deep  valleys  still  partlv  filled  with 
snow;  but  no  glaciers  were  seen.  The  inner  bay  was  still  covered  with 
an  unbroken  sheet  of  ice,  which,  suddenly  breaking  up  on  the  3Oth,  they 
beat  a  rather  precipitate  retreat,  just  in  time  to  escape  the  last  chance  of 
conflict  with  the  great  enemy  of  Arctic  expeditions. 

Steaming  away  to  St.  Lawrence  Island  the  Vega  anchored  in  an 
open- bay  on  the  northwest  coast  on  the  3ist.  Notwithstanding  its  very 
considerable  size,  eighty  by  thirty  miles,  the  island  has  no  good  harbor; 
and  the  Vega  left  her  exposed  situation  on  the  2d  of  August.  The  next 
anchorage  was  made  on  the  I4th  in  an  almost  equally  exposed  bay  on 
the  west  of  Behring's  Island.  In  the  dreary,  treeless  land  where  Beh- 
ring  and  companions  met  nothing  but  desolation,  sand  hills,  and  ravenous 
foxes,  Nordenskiold  and  party  found  a  thriving  colony  of  American  and 
Russian  traders,  with  dwelling-houses,  official  buildings,  storehouses,  a 
schoolhouse,  and  church.  Behring,  Copper,  and  Toporkoff  Islands,  be- 
sides several  islets  and  rocks,  constitude  the  group  known  as  Command- 
er's Islands.  "  The  part  of  Behring  Island  which  we  saw,"  says  Nor- 
denskiold,  "  forms  a  high  plain  resting  on  volcanic  rocks,  which,  how- 
ever, is  interrupted  at  many  places  by  deep  kettle  valleys,  the  bottoms  of 
which  are  generally  occupied  by  lakes  which  communicate  with  the  sea 
by  large  or  small  rivers.  The  banks  of  the  lakes  and  the  slopes  of  the 
hills  are  covered  with  a  luxuriant  vegetation,  rich  in  long  grass  and 
beautiful  flowers; -and  might  without  difficulty  feed  large  herds  of  cattle, 
perhaps  as  numerous  as  the  herds  of  sea-cows  that  formerly  pastured  on 
its  shores." 

Finding  here  a  steamer  of  the  Alaska  Company  bound  for  Petropau- 
lovsky,  Nordcnski5ld  was  somewhat  relieved  of  his  anxiety  to  reach  a 


AT  YOKOHAMA.  781 

telegraph  station,  whence  to  dispatch  news  of  the  safety  of  the  expe- 
dition. He  had  of  course  no  means  of  knowing  with  certainty  that  his 
letters  through  the  Tchuktchis  had  been  safely  forwarded ;  and  he  wished 
to  relieve  the  suspense  of  king  and  people,  and  of  the  world  at  large, 
and  save  the  expense  of  unnecessary  relief  expeditions.  After  a  short 
but  pleasant  sojourn  at  the  civilized  colony,  they  left  their  moorings  on 
the  I9th,  and  on  the  25th  struck  the  Gulf  Stream  of  the  Pacific.  On  the 
3 ist  the  mainmast  of  the  Vega  was  struck  by  lightning,  and  the  vane 
with  some  inches  of  the  pole  was  thrown  into  the  sea,  while  all  on  board 
received  a  violent  shaking,  but  suffered  no  serious  inconuenience.  On  the 
2(1  of  September,  at  9 :  30  in  the  evening,  the  Vega  anchored  in  the  harbor 
of  Yokohoma,  Japan;  and  Nordenskisld  nt  length  had  access  to  a  tele- 
graph station,  and  also  a  little  experience  of  official  obstruction  in  getting 
his  messages  off.  Here  he  learned  that  a  relief  steamer,  called  by  his 
name,  had  been  sent  forward  by  his  friend  Sibiriakoff,  and  had  been 
stranded  on  the  coast  of  Yesso,  fortunately  without  loss  of  life,  and  with 
a  fair  prospect  of  being  got  off  safely. 

With  Yokahama  began  the  series  of  festivities  and  celebrations  in 
honor  of  Nordenskiold  and  his  companions  which  soon  encompassed  the 
world,  either  actually  or  by  sympathy  of  feeling.  One  unsolved  prob- 
lem— by  many  deemed  insolvable — had  not  only  been  worked  out,  but 
the  task  had  been  achieved  without  loss  of  life,  and  with  little  more  actual 
inconvenience,  except  from  cold  and  the  accidental  detention  in  the  ice, 
than  men  often  experience  on  an  inglorious  fishing  excursion.  Civilized 
man  everywhere  rejoiced.  "  The  great  things  left  undone  in  the  world  " 
had  been  diminished  by  one,  and  another  hero,  representative  of  what 
can  be  done  by  man,  was  enthroned  amid  the  plaudits  of  an  admiring 
world.  The  first  formal  ovation  was  by  a  grand  dinner  at  the  Grand 
Hotel  on  the  loth  of  September,  followed  the  ensuing  day  by  a  break- 
fast with  the  Japanese  ministers.  On  the  I3th,  the  German  Club,  and 
on  the  1 5th  the  Tokio  Geographical  Society,  were  the  hosts,  while  on 
the  iyth  the  members  of  the  expedition  were  formally  presented  to  the 
Mikado  at  his  palace  in  Tokio.  With  fetes,  excursions,  balls,  and  sight- 
seeings, their  stay  at  Yokahama  was  rendered  very  enjoyable,  but  noli- 


732  THE   CONFUSION  OF  BABEL. 

days  must  come  to  a  close — indeed,  they  derive  their  chief  zest  from  the 
consciousness  of  hard  work  before  and  after — and  the  Vega  weighed 
anchor  on  the  nth  of  October,  but  it  was  not  until  the  zyth  that  they 
finally  took  leave  of  Japan  at  Nagasaki.  The  Vega  had  meanwhile 
been  overhauled,  and  copper-bottomed,  to  protect  her  hull  from  the  bor- 
ing mussels  of  the  tropical  seas,  besides  receiving  some  light  general  re- 
pairs, and  some  changes  in  interior  outfit. 

On  the  ad  of  November  our  voyagers  arrived  at  Hong  Kong,  and 
received  of  course  an  ovation  from  a  settlement  which  represents  the  na- 
tion that  has  contributed  most  to-  Arctic  exploration  ever  since  the  time 
of  Cabot.  They  remained  five  days,  and  were  not  only  well  entertained 
by  officials,  but  were  much  interested  in  the  glimpses  of  Chinese  life  they 
were  able  to  catch,  especially  in  the  neighboring  city  of  Canton.  Leav- 
ing Hong  Kong  on  the  9th,  and  proceeding  south  through  the  China 
Sea,  they  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Labuan,  off  the  northwest  coast  of 
Borneo  on  the  lyth.  On  the  2ist  they  sailed  for  Singapore,  at  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  the  Malay  Peninsula,  where  they  arrived  on  the  28th. 
Here,  as  elsewhere,  Nordenskiold  and  the  scientists  availed  themselves 
of  every  opportunity  to  study  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people, 
ethnological  characteristics,  and  whatever  strange  or  peculiar  they 
were  able  to  detect  in  the  social  or  political  life  of  the  races  they  encoun- 
tered, besides  the  direct  scientific  investigations  they  had  prosecuted  from 
the  beginning.  Singapore  is  situated  exactly  half  way  in  the  circum- 
navigation of  Europe  and  Asia  from  Sweden.  A  Babel-like  confusion 
of  speech  prevails  in  the  town,  owing  to  the  great  number  of  nationalities 
represented — Chinese,  Malays,  Klings,  Bengalese,  Parsees,  Singhalese, 
negroes,  Arabs,  besides  Americans  and  Europeans. 

Entering  on  the  second  but  well-known  half  of  the  voyage  on  the 
4th  of  December,  1879,  they  arrived  at  Point  de  Galle,  on  the  southwest 
coast  of  Ceylon,  on  the  1 5th,  "having  had  during  the  passage  from 
Singapore  a  pretty  steady  and  favorable  monsoon.  While  sailing 
through  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  a  strong  ball-lightning  was  often  seen 
a  little  after  sunset.  The  electrical  discharges  appeared  to  go  on  princi- 
pally from  the  mountain  heights  on  both  sides  of  the  straits.  In  the  sea- 


A  NEW  TEAR'S   CALL.  733 

port  towns  the  Singhalese  are  insufferaole  by  their  begging,  their  loquac- 
ity, and  the  unpleasant  custom  they  have  of  asking  up  to  ten  times  as 
much  while  making  a  bargain  as  *they  are  pleased  to  accept  in  the  end. 
In  the  interior  of  the  country  the  state  of  things  in  this  respect  is  much 
better.  "  During  our  stay  in  Japan  and  our  voyage  thence  to  Ceylon,  I 
had  endeavored,"  says  Nordenskiold,  "at  least  in  some  degree,  to  pre- 
serve the  character  of  the  voyage  of  the  Vega  as  a  scientific  expedition, 
an  attempt  which,  considering  the  short  time  the  Vega  remained  at  each 
place,  could  not  yield  any  very  important  results,  and  which  besides  was 
rendered  difficult,  though  in  a  way  that  was  agreeable  and  flattering  to 
us,  by  I  may  almost  say  the  tempestuous  hospitality  with  which  the 
Vega  men  were  everywhere  received  during  their  visits  to  the  ports  of 
Japan  and  East  Asia." 

Leaving  Galle  on  the  226.  of  December,  they  celebrated  Christmas 
at  sea  in  a  modest  but  commemorative  way,  being  tired  of  festive  enter- 
tainments and  luxurious  banqueting.  A  New  Year's  call  was  made  on 
the  officers  by  the  men  of  the  forecastle  in  the  character  of  Tchuktchis, 
offering  the  compliments  of  the  season,  and  complaining  bitterly  of  the 
unendurable  heat,  while  they  lavished  unstinted  praise  on  the  beautiful 
lands  of  the  heaven-favored  Tchuktchis  of  the  Polar  Sea,  where  one  could 
wear  nice  fur  clothes  all  the  year  round.  They  reached  Aden,  at  the 
entrance  of  the  Red  Sea,  on  the  yth  of  January,  1880.  "No  place  in 
the  high  North,"  says  Nordenskiold,  "not  the  granite  cliffs  of  the  Seven 
Islands,  or  the  pebble  rocks  of  Low  Island  on  Spitzbergen;  not  the 
mountain  sides  on  the  east  coast  of  Nova  Zembla,  or  the  figure-marked 
ground  at  Cape  Chelyuskin,  is  so  bare  of  vegetation  as  the  environs  of 
Aden,  and  the  parts  of  the  east  coast  of  the  Red  Sea  which  we  saw. 
Nor  can  there  be  any  comparison  in  respect  of  the  abundance  of  animal 
life  between  the  equatorial  countries  and  the  polar  regions  we  have 
named,  being  much  richer  in  the  latter."  Setting  out  on  the  9th,  they 
traversed  the  Red  Sea,  about  1400  miles  in  length,  and  being  delayed 
by  adverse  winds,  did  not  reach  Suez  till  the  2jth  of  January.  Here 
were  more  receptions,  excursions  to  Cairo  and  the-  Pyramids,  banquets 
from  geographical  and  scientific  societies,  a  ball  from  the  Swedish  consul, 


734  AT  BOULOGNE. 

and  a  trip  to  the  Mokattam  Mountains,  for  specimens  of  the  petrified 
wood  for  which  they  are  famous.  "  These  lie  spread  ahout  in  the  desert 
in  incredible  masses,  partly  broken  up  into  small  pieces,  partly  long, 
fallen  tree-stems,  without  root  or  branches,  but  in  a  wonderfully  good 
state  of  preservation." 

Steaming  through  the  Suez  Canal  on  the  3d  of  February,  and  touch- 
ing at  Port  Said  on  the  5th,  they  arrived  on  the  I4th  at  Naples,  the  first 
European  port  they  were  to  visit.  The  various  incidents  of  a  most  en- 
thusiastic reception  followed  close  on  each  other's  heels  every  day  and 
night  until  the  I9th,  at  Naples;  and  from  the  2oth  to  the  25th  at  Rome. 
National,  civic,  scientific  and  social  demonstrations  and  courtesies  of 
everv  kind  were  showered  upon  the  members  of  the  expedition.  Drs. 
Kjellman,  Almquist  and  Stuxberg,  with  Lieut.  Nordquist,  now  set 
out  for  home  by  rail,  and  Lieut.  Bove  remained  behind  at  his  home  in 
Italy,  so  that  on  the  departure  of  the  Vega  from  Naples  on  the  la>t  day 
of  February,  1880,  the  members  of  the  expedition  on  board  were  the 
commander,  Nordenskibld,  Capt.  Palander,  and  the  Lieuts.  Brusewitz 
and  Hovgaard. 

The  Vega  passed  through  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  on  the  9th  of 
March,  and  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Lisbon  on  the  nth.  Here  they 
were  welcomed,  feted  and  decorated  as  at  Naples  until  the  I5th,  when 
they  sailed  for  Portsmouth,  England.  Meeting  headwinds  as  she  en- 
tered the  English  Channel,  the  Vega  put  in  to  Falmouth  on  the  25th, 
and  the  remainder  of  the  month  was  occupied  by  Nordenskiold  and 
Palander  in  various  receptions  and  courtesies  from  representative  individ- 
uals and  societies  of  "  the  land  which  stands  first  in  the  line  of  those  that 
have  sent  out  explorers  to  the  Polar  Seas." 

On  the  ist  of  April  there  was  a  reception  breakfast  and  dinner  at 
Boulogne,  whence  they  proceeded  to  Paris,  arriving  on  the  morning  of 
the  2d  at  7  o'clock.  "Our  reception  in  Paris,"  says  Nordenskiold, 
"  was  magnificent,  and  it  appeared  as  if  the  metropolis  of  the  world 
wished  to  show  by  the  way  in  which  she  honored  a  feat  of  naviga- 
tion that  it  is  not  without  reason  that  she  bears  on  her  shield  a  ves- 
sel surrounded  by  swelling  billows."  Dinners,  balls,  receptions,  na- 


THE   FINAL    CELEBRATIONS.  733 

tional,  municipal  and  scientific,  honors,  attentions,  decorations,  were 
crowded  fast  upon  the  two  distinguished  leaders  of  the  Swedish  expe- 
dition, Nordenskiold  and  Palander,  beginning  promptly  on  the  morn- 
ing of  their  arrival,  and  closing  only  on  the  eve  of  their  departure. 
On  the  9th  they  left  Paris  to  join  the  Vega,  which  had  meanwhile 
been  taken  forward  to  Vlissingen  (Flushing),  in  the  Netherlands,  by 
Lieut.  Brusewitz.  Immediately  on  their  arrival  aboard,  the  Vega 
weighed  anchor,  the  voyagers  respectfully  declining  the  proffered  ova- 
tions of  Holland  and  Belgium,  "  from  want  of  time  and  strength  to 
take  part  in  any  more  festivities."  As  they  approached  Copenhagen, 
however,  they  encountered  another  wave  of  popular  enthusiasm,  the 
countrymen  of  Lieut.  Hovgaard  of  the  expedition  offering  their  con- 
gratulations in  a  spontaneous  outburst  on  the  15th,  followed  by  more 
formal  and  official  recognition  of  the  already  repeatedly  described  pat- 
tern until  the  ipth. 

The  final  celebrations  were  reserved  for  the  capital  of  Sweden, 
which  had  received  such  distinguished  renown  from  the  great  exploit 
of  her  sons.  Leaving  Copenhagen  on  the  evening  of  the  ipth,  they 
arrived  off  Dalarve,  twenty  miles  from  Stockholm,  on  the  23d,  where 
they  awaited  the  time  appointed  for  the  formal  entry  into  the  harbor  of 
the  capital  of  the  nation.  Meanwhile  at  Dalarve  they  were  rejoined  by 
their  families  and  the  absent  members  of  the  expedition.  On  the  24th, 
at  8  A.  M.,  the  Vega  again  weighed  anchor  and  steamed  slowly  past 
Vaxholm  into  Stockholm.  "We  met  innumerable  flag-decked  steamers 
by  the  way  fully  laden  with  friends,  known  and  unknown,  who  with 
shouts  of  rejoicing  welcomed  the  Vega  men  home.  The  nearer  we  came 
to  Stockholm,  the  greater  became  the  number  of  steamers,  that,  ar- 
ranged in  a  double  line  and  headed  by  the  Vega,  slowly  approached  the 
harbor.  Lanterns  in  variegated  colors  were  lighted  on  the  vessels,  fire- 
works were  let  off,  and  the  roar  of  cannon  mingled  with  the  loud  hur- 
rahs of  thousands  of  spectators.  After  being  greeted  at  Kastelholmen 
with  one  more  salute,  the  Vega  anchored  in  the  stream  in  Stockholm  at 
10  P.  M.  The  Queen  of  the  Malar  (Stockholm)  had  clothed  herself  for 
the  occasion  in  a  festive  dress  of  incomparable  splendor.  The  city  was 


736  COMMENTS   ON  NORDENSKIOLD. 

illuminated,  the  buildings  around  the  harbor  being  in  the  first  rank. 
Specially  had  the  king  done  everything  to  make  the  reception  of  the 
Vega  Expedition,  which  he  had  so  warmly  cherished  from  the  first 
moment,  as  magnificent  as  possible.  The  whole  of  the  royal  palace  was 
radiant -with  a  sea  of  lights  and  flames,  being  ornamented  with  symbols 
and  ciphers,  among  which  the  name  of  the  youngest  sailor  on  the  Vega 
WHS  not  omitted.  An  estrade  had  been  erected  from  Logaorden  to  the 
landing-place.  Here  we  were  received  by  the  town-councillors,  whose 
president,  the  governor,  welcomed  us  in  a  short  speech;  we  were  then  con- 
ducted to  the  palace,  where,  in  the  presence  of  Her  Majesty,  the  Queen 
of  Sweden,  the  members  of  the  royal  house,  the  highest  officials  of  the 
state  and  court,  etc.,  we  were  in  the  grandest  manner  welcomed  in  the 
name  of  the  fatherland  by  the  King  of  Sweden,  who  at  the  same  time 
conferred  upon  us  further  marks  of  his  favor  and  good  will  (commem- 
orative medals,  etc.)  It  was  also  at  the  royal  palace  that  the  series  of 
festivities  commenced  with  a  grand  gala  dinner  on  the  25th  of  April,  at 
which  the  king  in  a  few  magnanimous  words  praised  the  exploit  of  the 
Vega.  Then  fete  followed  fete  for  several  weeks." 

And  greater  than  all  festivities,  the  triumphant  fact  was  duly  regis- 
tered as  one  of  the  great  pivotal  events  in  the  records  of  humanity.  The 
success  of  the  Vega  is  one  of  the  grand  historic  achievements  of  the  race, 
and  may  lead  directly  to  the  discovery  of  the  Pole.  The  more  expe- 
ditions there  are  which  owe  their  success  to  well-designed,  carefully- 
executed  plans,  the  more  likelihood  there  is  that  a  broad  national  or  inter- 
national polar  expedition  will  be  organized  in  such  a  manner  as  to  com- 
mand success.  The  wide  experience  and  characteristics  of  Nordenskiftld 
mark  him  as  the  leader  of  that  great  achievement,  if  projected  soon 
enough.  He  is  now  fifty,  and  there  is  no  time  to  lose.  The  frozen  north 
is  no  field  for  freezing  age,  but  demands  the  vigor  of  manhood  com- 
bined with  the  experience  of  mature  years.  NordenskiQld  is  the  man, 
and  the  world  calls  him  to  the  task.  Should  he  fail  of  reaching  the 
Pole,  he  will  not  fail  to  make  the  feat  more  feasible  for  his  successors. 


PART   VI. 


THE    JEfiNNETTE, 


'-'-They  should  have  died  in  their  oivn  loved  land, 
With  friends  and  kinsmen  near  them; 

Not  have  'withered  thus  on  a  foreign  strand, 
With  no  thought  save  Heaven  to  cheer  them. 

But  what  recks  it  now  ?  Is  their  sleep  less  sound 
In  the  place  -where  the  'wild  -waves  s-wept  them, 

Than  if  home's  green  turf  their  graves  had  bound, 
Or  the  hearts  they  loved  had  ivcpt  them?'1'' 


CHAPTER    LXXX. 

SOME     COMMENTS    ON    ARCTIC     NAVIGATION ITS     RETROSPECT,    DAN- 
GERS, AND  PROSPECTS THE    DESIRE  OF   JAMES    GORDON    BENNETT 

—  THE     PANDORA HER     VOYAGE      UNDER     ALLEN     YOUNG AT 

DISCO AT    UPERNAVIK DISCOVERY    OF    SIR   JOHN    ROSS'     YACHT 

MARY NORTHUMBERLAND ARRIVE    AT    PORTSMOUTH. 

The  careful  reader  must  have  long  since  noticed  the  almost  rhyth- 
mical ebb  and  flow  with  which  voyages  of  discovery  alternately  sought 
and  abandoned  each  of  the  possible  routes,  first  to  the  Indies,  and  later  to 
the  Pole.  The  West,  Northwest,  Southwest  and  Northeast  Passages, 
had  each  its  period  of  preference  as  the  route  to  the  East;  and  later, 
Baffin's  Bay,  the  Greenland-Spitzbergen  Sea,  and  Behring's  Strait,  as 
the  highway  to  the  Pole.  Parry  had  pushed  through  the  central  route 
by  Spitsbergen  to  82°  45' ;  by  the  western  route  of  Baffin's  Bay  and  its 
outlets,  Nares  had  reached  83°  20'  26";  and  Wrangell,  by  what  might 
be  considered  a  continuation  of  the  eastern  route,  by  way  of  Behring's 
Straits — the  line  being  as  it  were  taken  up  where  it  had  been  dropped 
by  Cook  and  others — had  arrived  at  71°  43 '  off  the  Siberian  coast. 
Meanwhile,  the  Northwest  Passage  had  been  found  and  surveyed  in 
detail,  in  the  interests  of  geography  and  general  knowledge,  long  after 
its  impracticability  as  a  commercial  route  to  the  East  had  been  fully 
recognized.  And  now  the  Northeast  Passage  was  once  more  being  tested, 
and  with  success,  as  we  have  seen,  by  Nordenskiold.  Of  the  interesting 
series  of  voyages  recorded  in  this  work,  the  chief  impelling  motive,  in 
the  earlier  periods,  was  commercial  enterprise,  tinged  with  more  or  less 
of  national  glory  or  international  jealousy,  and  never  quite  deprived  of  a 
laudable  desire  to  increase  the  sum  of  human  knowledge.  At  a  later 
period,  geography,  and  still  later  various  natural  sciences,  together  with 

an  ever-increasing  ardor  to  enlarge  the  volume  of  ascertained  truth  for  its 

739 


740  CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE  ARCTIC  REGIONS. 

own  sake,  have  constituted  the  inspiration  of  these  heroic  endeavors. 
All  the  great  nations  of  modern  times  have  had  their  representatives  in 
the  long'  list  of  navigators  whose  names  adorn  these  pages,  showing  that 
in  the  greater  problems  of  humanity  the  whole  world  recognizes  a  com- 
munity of  interest,  and  an  instinctive  unity  of  purpose  and  effort. 

Encompassed  by  hitherto  insurmountable  obstacles,  and  bristling  with 
almost  inconceivable  dangers,  Polar  navigation  has  originated  and 
developed  more  varied  skill  and  heroic  daring  than  the  discovery  and 
exploration  of  all  the  rest  of  the  globe.  It  has  had  and  still  has,  a  pecu- 
liar fascination  for  the  bravest  and  most  adventurous  of  the  race;  and 
offers  many  of  the  grandest  and  most  sublime  attractions  to  compensate 
for  its  dangerous  and  monotonous  desolation.  The  North  Polar  regions 
offer  an  ever- widening  field  of  investigation  to  the  scientist;  and  many 
problems  of  meteorology,  light  and  magnetism  are  receiving  elucidation 
from  the  discoveries  made  in  high  latitudes,  while  the  artist  finds  much 
to  enlist  his  enthusiasm  in  the  grandly  picturesque  scenes  presented  in 
this  huge  laboratory  of  Nature.  The  vastness  of  her  operations  is  ex- 
hibited on  every  hand  in  the  huge  icebergs  and  immense  glaciers,  clad  in 
dazzling  whiteness  in  the  light  of  the  long,  unbroken  Arctic  day,  or 
glittering  in  the  moon's  silvery  rays,  at  intervals,  in  the  Arctic  night,  or 
displaying  a  weird,  melancholy  beauty  under  the  gentler  radiance  of  the 
bright  stars.  Ever  and  anon  the  auroral  arch,  varied  with  floating  ban- 
ners of  iris-hued  light  and  fantastic  gleams  and  flickerings  of  its  ever- 
active  and  restless  forces,  flashes  over  the  scene.  As  the  bergs,  packs, 
and  floes  drive  before  the  wind  or  float  with  the  current,  they  are  ever 
assuming  new  appearances  and  presenting  new  combinations,  demon- 
strating that  activity  or  energy  is  the  law  of  the  universe.  In  all  nature, 
inanimate  as  well  as  animate,  unrest  ever  prevails;  idleness  or  sloth  has 
no  place.  Even  where  man  attempts  to  pervert  this  law,  he  only  ex- 
hibits his  utter  impotency ;  the  indolent  are  left  behind,  and  the  secret  for- 
ces of  nature  forthwith  institute  a  series  of  special  activities  to  disen- 
cumber the  earth  of  their  presence.  The  icebergs,  under  this  resistless 
law  of  force,  will  at  one  time  present  the  outline  of  some  meJiajval 
cathedral  or  feudal  castle,  and  at  another,  a  park  of  pyramids,  mountain 


MR.   BENNETT'S  PROJECT.  741 

peaks,  gigantic  broken  columns,  colossal  figures  of  men  and  animals,  and 
in  fact,  the  frozen  counterfeit  of  almost  everything  grand  or  magnificent 
which  man  has  constructed  or  nature  produced  in  more  favored  climes. 
Again  they  are  hurled  against  each  other  with  a  crash  like  appalra^ 
thunder  or  the  roar  of  a  thousand  Krupp  guns  on  a  modern  battlefield. 

Much  had  been  done;  much  remained  to  be  done.  America,  the 
youngest  of  the  great  nations,  had  contributed  her  quota  of  distinguished 
Arctic  and  Polar  navigators,  but  naturally  wished,  if  it  might  be,  to  add 
fresh  laurels  to  those  already  won.  In  conformity  with  the  genius  of 
her  free  institutions — which  tend  to  direct  the  activities  of  government 
into  their  appropriate  sphere  of  execution  of  the  laws,  while  leaving  to 
individual  or  associated  enterprise  of  her  citizens  such  pursuits  as  the  love 
of  fame  or  fortune  may  impel  them  to  embrace — a  new  Polar  expedition 
was  set  on  foot,  at  the  expense  of  one  of  her  wealthy  citizens,  James 
Gordon  Bennett,  proprietor  of  the  New  York  Herald,  and  only  son  of 
the  founder  of  the  paper,  and  the  great  fortune  which  those  very  institu- 
tions had  enabled  him  to  accumulate,  became  its  patron.  A  not  dis- 
similar enterprise,  a  short  time  before  the  death  of  the  elder  Bennett, 
received  the  support  of  the  Herald.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Henry 
M.  Stanley  was  dispatched  with  200  men  and  all  necessary  supplies  in 
search  of  the  African  explorer  Livingstone,  in  1870,  and  that  owing  to 
the  timely  thoughtfulness  and  public  spirit  of  the  Bennetts,  he  was 
enabled  to  reach  the  great  traveler  at  a  critical  moment,  on  the  loth  of 
November,  1871,  and  supply  the  resources  which  in  his  enfeebled  con- 
dition were  absolutely  necessary  to  his  safety.  In  1875  Stanley  was 
again  sent  out  by  Mr.  Bennett  on  an  independent  expedition  to  the  in- 
terior of  "  The  dark  continent." 

The  vessel  which  Mr.  Bennett  now  set  his  mind  on  for  an  American 
Polar  expedition  had  previously  made  an  Arctic  voyage  in  command  of 
her  owner,  Captain,  afterward  Sir  Allen  Young. 

VOYAGE  OF  THE  PANDORA. 

The  Pandora  was  bought  of  the  British  Naval  Department  by  Capt. 
Young,  and  specially  fitted  out  by  him  for  Arctic  navigation.  Although 


^ 


THE  PANDORA.  743 

originally  built  exceptionally  strong,  as  was  supposed,  Young — who,  it 
will  be  remembered,  had  served  as  navigating  officer  with  M'Clintock 
in  his  successful  search  for  relics  of  Franklin,  in  1857-9 — wished  to 
adapt  her  as  thoroughly  as  possible  to  her  new  sphere.  Heavy  iflPl 
beams  and  knees  were  put  in  amidships  to  increase  her  power  of  resist- 
ance to  ice-pressure;  and  her  hull  was  encased  in  an  outer  planking  of 
American  elm  four  and  one-half  inches  thick,  while  her  bows  were  clad 
with  solid  iron.  These  chang'es,  while  necessarily  injuring  her  sailing 
qualities,  were  supposed  to  render  her  capable  of  resisting  nips  and 
squeezes  that  would  crush  a  common-built  ship  like  an  eggshell.  She 
was  a  bark-rigged  vessel  of  four  hundred  and  thirty-eight  tons  regis- 
ter, with  steam-power  which  could  on  emergency  be  worked  up  to  two 
hundred  horse-power.  Her  officers  and  crew  numbered  thirty,  and  she 
was  provisioned  for  eighteen  months.  "The  promoters  of  the  expedi- 
tion," says  MacGahan,  who  accompanied  it  as  Herald  correspondent, 
"were  Capt.  Allen  Young,  on  whom  fell  the  principal  burden  and  ex- 
pense ;  Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett,  whom  I  had  the  honor  to  represent ; 
Lieut.  Innes  Lillington,  R.  N.,  who  went  as  second  in  command;  and 
the  late  Lady  Franklin.  She  had  insisted  on  contributing  to  the  ex- 
penses of  the  expedition,  almost  against  Capt.  Young's  wishes,  who  felt 
by  no  means  confident  of  doing  anything  that  would  entitle  him  to  ac- 
cept her  willing  contribution."  Lieut.  Beynen  accompanied  her  as  rep- 
resentative of  the  Dutch  navy,  to  gain  experience  in  Arctic  navigation, 
with  a  view  perhaps  to  some  future  expedition  to  the  north  under  the 
auspices  of  that  government. 

On  the  morning  of  July  28,  1875,  they  sighted  Cape  Farewell,  and 
found  themselves  surrounded  by  a  field  of  ice,  which  drifted  by  them 
dangerously  near,  while  it  stretched  away  in  the  distance  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach.  The  near  ice  presented  almost  every  imaginable  ap- 
pearance— old  castles  with  ruined  towers,  castellated  battlements,  frown- 
ing fortresses  with  broken  loopholes;  massive  cathedrals  with  fantastic 
carvings  and  delicate  tracings;  triumphal  arches  with  spires  and  pinna- 
cles as  well  as  heavy  architraves,  friezes  and  cornices.  The  animal  and 
vegetable  kingdoms  were  not  without  their  representatives.  Huge 


744  AT  DISCO— AT   UPERNAVIK 

mushrooms,  with  slender  stem  and  broad  drooping  tops;  great  masses  of 
immense  foliage-crowned  trees;  graceful  swans  with  slender  necks  poised 
at  ease;  lions,  horses,  and  eagles;  in  short,  one  might  fancy  a  resemblance 
in  some  ice-mass  to  anything  he  had  ever  seen  or  read  of,  all  sparkling 
and  gleaming  in  the  bright  morning  sun.  Treading  their  way  labori- 
ously and  cautiously  through  the  narrow,  they  finally  got  completely 
hemmed  in.  They  now  drove  straight  through  the  floe,  across  a  narrow 
ice-isthmus.  The  wind  was  favorable,  and  they  were  proceeding  at  the 
rate  of  five  knots  an  hour.  In  a  moment  the  iron-clad  bows  of  the  Pan- 
dora plunged  into  the  obstructing  ice  like  a  battering-ram.  There  was 
a  loud  crash;  the  ship  quivered  and  groaned;  the  masts  rolled  up  before 
her  in  great  blocks,  which  fell  into  the  water  with  a  loud  splash  and  an 
answering  spray,  and  she  was  securely  jammed  in  the  ice.  A  moment 
of  awful  suspense  followed,  but  there  was  scarcely  time  to  take  in  the 
situation  when  it  was  found  that  the  iron  prow  had  quite  demolished  the 
ice,  and  it  only  remained  to  squeeze  through  the  fissure  that  had  been 
made.  The  ship  wriggled  through  like  an  eel,  and  then  shot  forward, 
free  and  uninjured,  into  the  lane  of  open  water  ahead.  With  many  sim- 
ilar experiences  they  worked  their  slow  way  to  Irgtut,  where  they  were 
warmly  welcomed  by  the  Danish  colonists.  Proceeding  forward  they 
soon  arrived  at  Disco,  and  were  again  cordially  welcomed  by  the  colo- 
nists and  officials  at  that  port.  On  the  way  they  had  been  boarded  by 
some  trading  Esquimaux  in  their  frail  kayaks,  which  drew  from  Mac- 
Gahan  the  reflection,  "Imagine  a  man  getting  into  a  canoe  and  paddling 
across  the  English  Channel  from  Dover  to  Boulogne  or  Calais,  to  sell 
half  a  dozen  trout!"  Some  of  them  had  rowed  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
to  barter  a  little  fish  for  coffee,  biscuit,  and  tobacco.  At  Disco  Mac- 
Gahan  had  occasion  to  indulge  in  some  reflections  of  another  kind. 
Speaking  of  a  local  belle,  he  says,  "It  was  a  pure  delight  to  watch  her 
little  feet  flitting  over  the  ground  like  butterflies,  or  humming  birds,  or 
rosebuds,  or  anything  else  that  is  delicate,  and  sweet,  and  delightful.  It 
was  not  dancing  at  all;  it  was  flying;  it  was  floating  through  the  air  on  & 
wave  of  rhythm,  without  even  so  much  as  touching  ground." 

At  Upernavik  they  took  aboard  some  dogs  for  the  expedition;   and' 


RELICS  OF  ROSS  AND  BELCHER.  745 

learned  that  the  Alert  ami  Discovery,  under  Nares,  had  left  there  on  the 
22d  of  July.  In  latitude  74°  they  sighted  the  great  Greenland  glacier 
of  that  region,  extending  inland  seventy  or  eighty  miles.  On  the  I9th 
of  August,  forty-two  days  out  from  England,  they  reached  Carey  Islands, 
and  deposited  two  harrels  of  mail  matter  for  the  Alert  and  Discovery, 
but  failed  to  notice  Nares'  cairn.  At  Beechey  Island  they  found  the  yacht 
Mary,  abandoned  in  1851,  in  good  condition.  Northumberland  House, 
erected  by  Belcher  in  1854,  as  a  depot  for  stores,  had  been  broken  into 
by  polar  bears.  The  ground  was  strewn  with  tins  of  preserved  meats 
and  vegetables,  forty-pound  tins  of  pemmican,  great  rolls  of  heavy  blue 
cloth,  bales  of  blankets  and  clothing,  and  hundreds  of  pairs  of  socks  and 
mittens,  resembling  the  wreck  of  some  freight  train,  from  which  track 
and  cars  had  disappeared.  The  marks  of  the  wreckers  were  everywhere; 
they  had  gnawed  into  the  barrels  of  salt  beef,  of  which  not  a  morse!  was 
left  behind;  they  had  punched  holes  into  the  heavy  pemmican  cans,  but 
were  not  equal  to  the  task  of  emptying  them  of  their  contents.  Near 

the  house  is  the  monument  of  Lieut.  Bellot;  here  also,  is  the   tombstone 

• 

of  Sir  John  Franklin;  three  miles  farther  up  are  the  graves  of  five  sea- 
men of  the  Erebus,  Terror,  and  North  Star.  "  This  Arctic  graveyard 
is  situated  on  a  gravelly  slope,  which  rises  up  from  the  little  bay  toward 
the  foot  of  a  high  bluff,  that  frowns  down  upon  it  as  though  resenting 
the  intrusion  of  the  human  dead  in  this  lonely  world.  Sad  enough 
looked  the  poor  head-boards  as  the  low-sinking  sun  threw  its  yellow  rays 
athwart  them,  casting  long  shadows  over  the  shingly  slope,  silent,  sad  and 
mournful  as  everything  else  in  this  dreary  world."  Landing  on  North 
Somerset,  they  discovered  the  cairn  erected  by  Ross  and  M'Clintock  in 
1849,  with  the  record  addressed  to  Franklin. 

Arriving  at  the  entrance  of  Peel  Strait,  on  the  2jth  of  August, 
they  found  the  way  blocked  by  an  immense  ice-pack,  which  even  the 
Pandora  could  not  bore  through,  and  were  in  danger  of  being  imprisoned 
for  an  indefinite  period,  without  a  harhor,  and  without  prospect  of  com- 
pensating achievement.  Bearing  away  from  this  dangerous  locality  just 
in  time  to  escape  untoward  and  unprofitable  detention,  they  arrived  at 
La  Roguette  Island,  and  began  to  think  they  would  perhaps  reach  Cali- 


746  ARRIVE  AT  PORTSMOUTH. 

fornia  before  the  close  of  the  season,  by  the  route  mapped  out  for  Frank- 
lin— southwest  from  Cape  Walker  to  Behring's  Straits.  Instead  of  the 
anticipated  open  water  and  plain  sailing,  they  encountered  an  immense 
ice-field.  After  three  days,  vain  search  for  a  lead,  Capt.  Young  re- 
linquished the  hope  of  completing  the  Northwest  Passage,  and  concluded 
to  return  to  England. 

With  high  winds,  heavy  snowstorms  and  obstructing  ice-packs,  they 
had  a  rather  difficult  homeward  voyage.  On  one  occasion,  in  a  moment- 
ary lifting  of  the  snow-clouds,  they  saw  close  at  hand,  and  as  it  were, 
threatening  to  fall  upon  them,  a  precipitous  cliff,  presenting  a  most  ghost- 
ly appearance,  says  Young,  "  the  horizontal  strata  seeming  like  the  huge 
bars  of  some  gigantic  iron  cage,  and  standing  out  from  the  snow-face. 
In  fact,  it  was  the  skeleton  of  a  cliff,  and  we  appeared  to  be  in  its  grasp. 
For  a  few  minutes  only  we  saw  this  apparition,  and  then  all  was  again 
darkness."  They  barely  had  room  to  pass  between  this  cliff  and  the  ice- 
pack, and  after  three  hours  of  intense  anxiety,  a  fortunate  movement  of 
the  ice  displayed  a  weak  spot  through  which  they  hastily  forced  the  ship, 
and  thus  escaped.  On  Sept.  10  they  passed  through  a  terrible  gale,  in 
which  the  Pandora  was  converted  into  "one  huge  icicle;"  but  they  got 
safely  to  Carey  Islands.  This  time  they  found  Nares'  cairn  and  a  record 
addressed  to  the  British  Admiralty,  which  they  conveyed  home,  arriving 
at  Portsmouth  Oct.  16,  1875,  after  a  successful  cruise  of  100  days. 


CHAPTER    LXXXI. 

MR.  UENNETT  PURCHASES  THE  PANDORA EXPENSE  OF  THE  EXPE- 
DITION  THE  CREW LIEUT.  DE  LONG'S  LETTER  TO  THE  SECRE- 
TARY OF  THE  NAVY HER  DEPARTURE  FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO 

BAY A     GRAPHIC      DESCRIPTION AT      OUNALASKA DE     LONG 

COMMUNICATES    VARIED    INTELLIGENCE    TO    THE    SECRETARY. 

Mr.  Bennett  purchased  the  Pandora  of  her  owner,  Sir  Allen  Young, 
in  the  spring  of  1878;  and  she  was  taken  by  Lieuts.  DeLong  and  Danen- 
hower,  from  Havre,  France,  by  the  Strait  of  Magellan  to  the  United 
States  navy-yard  at  Mare  Island  near  San  Francisco,  where  it  was  deter- 
mined "to  overhaul,  refit,  and  strengthen  her."  "This  conclusion,"  says 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  "was  precautionary  merely,  inasmuch  as  she 
had  been  well  constructed,  and  was  believed  to  possess  ordinary  strength." 
An  inquiry  from  the  secretary  elicited  the  report,  "that  extraordi- 
nary precautions  were  taken  to  strengthen  the  Jeannette  before  she  left 
San  Francisco;  that  ten  feet  of  solid  timber  were  placed  in  her  bow;  that 
iron  beams  were  introduced  on  each  side  of  her  boilers  to  strengthen  her 
sides,  and  that  she  was  fastened  through  and  through  with  wooden  hooks, 
and  that  her  bilge  was  strengthened  with  six-inch  timber,  and  her  deck 
frame  renewed  wherever  required.  In  addition  to  her  being  a  well  built 
vessel  these  improvements  must  have  given  her  such  capacity  to  resist 
the  ice  as  few  vessels  that  have  gone  into  the  Polar  regions  have  had." 

A  later  newspaper  report  adds :  "Aft  the  mizzenmast  she  is  almost 
entirely  of  mahogany.  Her  hull  is  sheathed  with  Australian  ironwood, 
four  inches  in  thickness.  She  is  so  modeled  as  to  rise  easily  from  the 
water  when  nipped'by  the  ice,  wherein  lies  the  chief  danger  to  all  ves- 
sels traversing  polar  regions.  Her  form  is  therefore  as  great  an  element 
of  safety  as  her  superior  strength.  Previous  voyages  have  tested  her  ca- 
pacity thoroughly.  Three  times  she  was  nipped  in  Melville  Bay  with 

747 


748  EXPENSE   OF    THE  EXPEDITION. 

such  force  as  to  be  raised  several  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  but 
she  escaped  without  suffering  the  slightest  damage.  She  was  further 
strengthened  against  ice  pressure  by  having  ten  feet  of  her  bow  filled  in 
with  solid  dead  wood,  heavily  bolted,  just  before  leaving  San  Francisco." 

From  the  outset  the  national  American  character  of  the  expedition 
was  provided  for.  By  special  Act  of  Congress  she  received  an  Ameri- 
can register,  with  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  a  government  vessel,  and 
was  re-named  the  Jeannette,  in  honor  of  Mr.  Bennett's  only  sister.  The 
Secretarv  of  the  Navy  was  authorized  to  accept  her  without  expense  to  the 
government;  the  cost  of  the  expedition  to  Mr.  Bennett  was  estimated 
at  $300,000.  She  was  put  in  charge  of  officers  of  the  navy — Lieut. 
Geo.  W.  De  Long,  commander;  Lieut.  Charles  W.  Chipp,  executive 
officer;  Lieut.  John  W.  Danenhower,  navigator;  George  W.  Melville, 
chief  engineer;  and  J.  M.  Ambler,  surgeon.  With  these  were  asso- 
ciated Jerome  J.  Collins,  meteorologist  and  correspondent  of  the  Herald ; 
Raymond  L.  Newcomb,  naturalist;  and  William  M.  Dunbar,  ice 
pilot.  The  other  members  of  the  ship's  company — carpenters,  machin- 
ists, and  seamen — were  Jas.  H.  Bartlett,  Geo.  H.  Boyd,  Wm.  Cole, 
Adolf  Dressier,  Hans  H.  Ericksen,  Carl  A.  Gortz,  Neils  Iverson,  Peter 
E.  Johnson,  Albert  G.  Kuehne,  Henry  H.  Kaach,  Geo.  Lauderbach, 
Herbert  W.  Leach,  Walter  Lee,  Frank  Manson,  Wm.  C.  F.  Nin- 
derman,  Louis  J.  Noros,  W.  Sharvell,  Edward  Star,  Alfred  Sweet- 
man,  Henry  D.  Warren,  and  Henry  Wilson;  and  three  Chinese,  Ah 
Sam,  Long  Sing,  and  Ah  Sing,  as  steward,  cook,  and  cabin-boy — in  all 
thirty-two  persons.  In  selecting  the  crew  choice  was  made  from  1300 
applicants,  no  one  being  accepted  under  twenty-five,  or  over  thirty-five, 
and  care  being  taken  that  all  were  of  average  height,  size,  and  weight, 
sound  in  all  respects,  and  without  tendency  to  consumption,  of  good 
character,  northern  born  or  raised,  inured  to  cold,  and  accustomed  to  the 
sea.  The  seamen  were  to  receive  $25  a  month,  and  the  others  in 
proportion. 

At  a  farewell  reception  tendered  the  officers  by  the  Academy  of  Sci- 
ences of  San  Francisco,  on  the  i6th  of  June,  Commander  De  Long  re- 
ferred briefly  to  the  manner  in  which  private  liberality  and  enterprise 


DE  LONG'S  MESSAGE. 


749 


was  combined  with  government  assistance  to  send  out  the  expedition  un- 
der the  best  possible  auspices  as  a  national  undertaking.  He  dwelt  upon 
the  fact  that  the  present  was  the  first  attempt  to  reach  the  Pole  by  way 
of  Behring's  Strait,  and  on  the  difficulties  likely  to  be  encountered.  The 
ground  to  be  traversed  was  entirely  new,  he  said ;  for  after  passing  7 1  ° 
they  were  going  out  into  a  great  blank  space  to  determine  whether  il 
was  watei;,  ice,  or  land.  He  deemed  it  better  riot  to  say  at  present  what 
they  would  do,  but  hoped  to  be  held  in  remembrance  until  their  return, 
when  a  recital  of  what  they  had  done  would  be  of  greater  interest. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1879,  De 
Long  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy — "  I  have  the  honor  to  inform 
you  that  the  Jeannette,  being  in  all 
respects  ready  for  sea,  will  sail  at  3 
o'clock  this  afternoon,  on  her  cruise 
to  the  Arctic  regions.  I  have  also 
the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  your  orders  of  the  iSth  of  June 
in  relation  to  the  movements  of  the 
Arctic  Expedition  under  my  com- 
mand; and  while  I  appreciate  the 
grave  responsibility  intrusted  to  my 
care,  I  beg  leave  to  assure  you  that 
I  will  endeavor  to  perform  this  im- 
portant duty  in  a  manner  calculated 
to  reflect  credit  upon  the  ship,  the  navy,  and  the  country  at  large.  I  beg 
leave  to  return  thanks  for  the  confidence  expressed  in  my  ability  to  satis- 
factorily conduct  such  a  hazardous  expedition,  and  I  desire  to  place  upon 
record  my  conviction  that  nothing  has  been  left  unprovided  which  the 
enterprise  and  liberalitv  of  Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett,  and  the  experi- 
ence of  our  Arctic  predecessors  could  suggest." 

Over  1 0,000  people  witnessed  the  departure  of  the  Jeannette;  and 
10,000,000  watched  with  interest  for  the  announcement  of  the  event. 
The  circumstances  are  graphically  described  by  the  departing  journalist 


UKUT.    GEO.    W.    DE  LONG. 


750  THE   JEANNETTE  DEPARTS. 

of  the  expedition,  as  follows:  "The  anchor  is  up,  and  the  propeller  is 
slowly  revolving,  giving  the  Jeannette  just  enough  motion  through  the 
water  to  make  us  feel  that  we  were  off  at  last.  The  friendly  waving  of 
hats  and  handkerchiefs  from  the  wharves,  the  shipping,  and  even  from 
the  distant  points  of  vantage  in  San  Francisco,  tell  us  that  the  good  peo- 
ple of  the  city,  as  well  as  the  men  of  the  sea,  are  giving  us  a  hearty  send- 
off,  although  we  cannot  hear  the  cheers.  Our  captain  and  first-lieutenant 
are  on  the  bridge.  The  word  is  given.  'All  hands  give  three  cheers.' 
Up  into  the  port-rigging  scramble  the  crew,  the  steam  whistle  marks  the 
time.  '  Hurrah,'  '  hurrah!'  Now  we  are  off  in  earnest.  The  yacht  club 
of  San  Francisco,  under  the  command  of  Commodore  Harrison,  accom- 
pany us.  How  gracefully  these  pretty  crafts  skim  about  our  vessel,  like 
white-winged  seagulls,  as  she  solemnly  moves  toward  the  Narrows.  We 
will  leave  them  at  the  bar.  One  of  them  will  take  off  from  us  a  lady 
whom  we  have  all  learned  to  respect.  It  is  Mrs.  De  Long,  the  wife  of 
our  gallant  captain,  who  is  now  spending  with  him  the  last  sacred  mo- 
ments before  parting.  This  amiable  and  charming  lady  has  been  the 
life  of  our  Jeannette  family  since  it  was  organized.  If  we  wanted  to 
buy  anything  for  any  purpose,  we  went  for  advice  to  Mrs.  De  Long. 
The  steamers,  crowded  with  well-wishers,  are  now  closing  about  us,  as 
we  \vave  caps  and  handkerchiefs  to  friends  on  board  them.  The  Jean- 
nette plows  onward  in  the  teeth  of  a  smart  breeze.  Hill  tops  and  wharves 
in  San  Francisco  are  crowded.  It  is  a  pleasant  farewell  scene  on  the 
Jeannette.  Now  we  are  approaching  the  Narrows.  The  final  leave- 
taking  will  soon  be  given  in  cheers,  then  away  to  the  great  Pacific  on 
our  voyage  to  the  Arctic  seas.  Not  a  man  on  board  has  the  shadow  of 
a  melancholy  thought  on  his  face.  People  remark :  '  What  a  good- 
humored  lot  of  fellows.'  We  are  happy  in  the  knowledge  that  millions 
bear  us  friendly  wishes.  The  sky  ahead  looks  foggy.  We  will  make 
off  the  coast  to  avoid  the  prevailing  nor' wester  and  get  into  fair  weather 
about  five  hundred  miles  westward.  Then  our  good  ship  will  point  her 
prow  to  Ounalaska.  Now  we  are  abreast  of  the  fortifications.  We  now 
see  the  old  flag  waving  high  on  its  mast  over  the  stronghold  of  Uncle 
Sam.  We  salute  it.  A  very  interesting  meeting  is  taking  place  in  the 


751 


752  THE  LAST  ADIEUS. 

cabin  between  Mrs.  De  Long,  Mr.  Wm.  Bradford,  the  Arctic  artist,  and 
Mr.  Brooks,  of  the  Academy  of  Science.  We  discuss  the  future.  Mrs. 
De  Long  is  enthusiastic.  She  says  we  must  succeed,  and  offers  some 
sensible  advice  on  the  subject  of  temperature. 

"Puff!  Bang!  There's  a  salute  from  Fort  Point.  The  barbette 
battery  is  belching  away,  and  fat-looking  lumps  of  white  smoke  are 
rolling  down  to  the  sea  below.  Our  gallant  friend,  Major  Hasbrock,  of 
the  fourth  artillery,  is  on  the  ramparts.  We  hear  the  cheers  and  re- 
turn them  heartily.  It  is  a  handsome  compliment.  Blood  is  thicker 
than  water.  The  army  salutes  the  navy.  Farewell,  brave  boys,  may 
your  guns  always  salute  friends,  and  terrify  enemies.  The  yachts  are 
now  passing  astern.  As  each  passes  she  salutes  with  dipping  flags  and 
cheers.  They  then  scud  off  to  come  round  again.  The  little  tugs  feel 
the  motion  of  the  sea,  and  begin  to  put  back.  The  people  on  them  cheer 
vigorously,  and  the  tugs  blow  their  whistles.  These  scenes  occur  every 
few  minutes  as  our  ship  passes  through  the  crafts  around  her.  We  are 
now  opposite  the  Cliff  House  and  Seal  Rocks.  The  sea  is  calming  down, 
and  we  bob  along  pretty  steadily.  Captain  De  Long  just  now  asked  me 
to  give  his  love  to  all  of  you.  I  know  you  will  accept  the  offering  of  a 
gallant  seaman,  who  goes  out  to  win  honor  for  the  flag.  The  hour  is  at 
hand  when  we  must  part  from  our  shore  friends.  Leavetaking  is  the 
duty  of  the  moment.  We  shake  hands  with  noble  friends.  We  send 
our  warmest  wishes  for  the  welfare  of  those  we  leave  behind.  Time's 
up.  We  part  company  with  civilization  for  the  present." 

On  the  voyage  northward  the  Jeannette  encountered  a  succession  of 
head-winds,  alternating  with  equally  untoward  calms,  and  after  passing 
45°,  no  less  unfavorable  fogs.  Her  course  was  for  Akoutan  Pass,  be- 
tween the  island  of  that  name  and  Ounalaska,  both  of  the  Aleutian  group. 
They  made  land  in  a  dense  fog,  on  August  ist,  which  a  party  going 
ashore  found  to  be  Ougalgan  Island,  a  formation  of  basaltic  granite,  bear- 
ing a  surface  deposit  of  scoria,  and  evidences  of  a  comparatively  recent 
volcanic  disturbance.  An  active  volcano  was  observed  on  the  neighbor- 
ing island  of  Ounalaska.  Passing  through  the  Pass  and  rounding  Cape 
Kaleghta,  the  Jeannette  anchored  at  Port  Iliouliouk  of  that  island,  in 


A   BRIG    WRECKED.  758 

latitude  53°  52'  by  longitude  166°  32'.  "The  local  scenery,"  says 
Collins,  "  is  very  imposing.  The  great  green  hills,  covered  with  patches 
of  snow;  the  luxuriant  grass  on  the  coast,  the  Tugged,  precipitous  cliffs, 
and  the  detached,  peaked  rocks  are  the  principal  features.  Nearly  all  are 
bold  headlands.  There  is  a  total  absence  of  trees.  There  is  a  large 
variety  of  flowering  plants  common  to  the  temperate  zone,  some  of 
which  are  very  pretty.  This  whole  region  is  volcanic;  some  of  the  large 
harbors  are  evidently  old  craters.  Part  of  the  harbor  we  now  lie  in, 
formed  by  an  extensive  subsidence  as  late  as  1853,  ^as  deep  water  in 
shore,  and  thirteen  fathoms  at  the  buoy.  There  are  not  many  resident 
whites,  the  population  being  chiefly  Aleuts  and  Indians  from  the  main 
land.  There  is  a  Russian  chapel  and  a  priest  in  the  settlement." 

From  Ounalaska  Commander  De  Long  wrote  as  follows  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy :  "  I  have  the  honor  to  report  the  arrival,  on  Aug. 
2ol,  at  this  place  of  the  ship  under  my  command,  and  the  continued 
good  health  of  the  officers  and  crew.  I  found  at  anchor  here  the  tlnited 
States  revenue  cutter  Rush,  the  steamer  St.  Paul,  and  the  schooner  St. 
George,  the  last  two  named  belonging  to  the  Alaska  Commercial  Corn- 
pan}-,  of  San  Francisco.  This  letter  is  carried  to  San  Francisco  by  the 
said  steamer  St.  Paul.  I  learned  upon  arrival,  of  the  wreck  of  the  brig 
Timandra,  belonging  to  J.  C.  Merrill  &  Co.,  of  San  Francisco,  on 
Nounivak  Island,  about  four  hundred  and  twenty  miles  to  the  northward 
of  this  place.  The  second  mate  and  three  seamen  of  said  brig  reached 
here  on  the  3Oth  of  July,*bringing  tidings  of  the  disaster  to  that  vessel, 
occurring  May  25.  The  vessel  they  report  as  being  a  total  wreck, 
although  no  lives  were  lost,  and  the  cargo  was  nearly  all  saved.  The 
crew  built  a  boat  from  a  po'rtion  of  the  wreck,  eighteen  feet  long  and  six 
feet  beam  and  partly  decked  over,  and  the  four  men  mentioned  above, 
having  volunteered  to  come  here  in  search  of  assistance,  left  Nounivak 
on  the  26th  of  July,  and  reached  here  on  the  3Oth.  The  Rush  sailed  to- 
day to  rescue  the  balance  of  the  crew,  eight  in  number. 

"  The  steamship  St.  Paul  arrived  from  St.  Paul's  Island,  Aug.  I, 
bringing  the  entire  collection  of  furs  from  the  Seal  Islands  and  the 
northern  settlements — about  one  hundred  thousand  skins — and  will  leave 
48 


754  DE  LONG'S  COMMUNICATION. 

to-morrow  morning  for  San  Francisco.  The  revenue  cutter  Rush,  dur- 
ing her  visit  to  St.  Michael's  and  her  cruise  to  the  northward,  passed 
through  Behring  Strait,  some  twenty  miles  to  the  northward,  and  east- 
ward of  East  Cape  in  Siberia,  without  having  encountered  any  ice  what- 
soever. Supposing  that  Professor  Nordenskiold  had  already  passed 
south,  no  communication  was  had  by  the  Rush  with  St.  Lawrence  Bay. 
No  communication  from  St.  Lawrence  Bay  had  been  received  at  St. 
Michael's  at  the  date  of  sailing  of  the  Rush,  July  23,  and  consequently 
there  was  no  knowledge  of  the  safety  or  movements  of  Professor  Nor- 
denskiold's  party. 

"  It  was  my  intention  originally,  as  communicated  to  you  in  my  letter 
of  July  8,  to  stop  at  St.  Paul's  Island  after  leaving  this  place,  but  as  the 
fur  clothing,  which  I  was  to  have  received  at  that  place,  can  be  furnished 
here,  I  have  concluded  to  proceed  directly  to  St.  Michael's,  in  Alaska, 
leaving  here  Aug.  6. 

'« From  all  the  intelligence  received  from  the  northward  it  appears 
that  the  last  winter  has  been  an  exceptionally  mild  one,  and  that  no  ob- 
struction to  navigation  in  the  shape  of  ice  has  been  encountered.  I  can 
but  deplore  that  the  necessity  of  loading  this  ship  so  deeply  at  San  Fran- 
cisco has  made  our  progress  thus  far  so  slow,  owing  also  to  head  winds 
and  swell,  as  to  make  it  doubtful  w.hether  we  shall  be  able  or  not  to 
profit  by  the  open  water  in  the  Arctic  Sea  in  our  efforts  to  gain,  a  high 
latitude  this  season. 

"If,  upon  our  arrival  at  St.  Michael's,  nothing  has  been  heard  of  the 
party  under  the  command  of  Professor  Nordenskiftld,  I  shall  proceed  to 
St.  Lawrence  Bay,  in  Siberia,  to  obtain  tidings  of  them  and  shall  proceed 
subsequently  in  accordance  with  the  general  plan  delineated  in  my  letter 
of  July  8. 

"I  would  respectfully  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  charts  of 
this  region  are  very  meager.  The  most  reliable  is  one  published  by  the 
Imperial  Russian  Hydrographic  Office  in  1849,  which  chart  was  fur- 
nished me  in  San  Francisco.  The  prevalence  of  fogs  and  the  rapidity  and 
uncertainty  of  the  prevailing  tides  make  an  approach  to  any  of  the  passes 
between  the  Aleutian  Islands  hazardous  in  the  extreme." 


CHAPTER   LXXXII. 

FROM     OUNALASKA     TO     ST.     LAWRENCE      BAY SOUNDINGS RELIEF 

WATCHES  OFF      STUART'S      ISLAND THE      STOCK      OF      DOGS 

CIVILIZED    CUSTOMS A    VOLCANIC    REGION A    HUNTING    PARTY 

FROM      THE     JEANNETTE A     RUSSIAN      BATH THE     FANNY     A. 

HYDE A    FORCED     TREATY    WITH     THE     CANINES VISITED     BY 

TCHUKTCHIS DE  LONG'S    DISPATCH. 

The  trip  from  Ounalaska  to  St.  Lawrence  Bay  is  thus  described  by 
Collins:  "  The  change  from  the  smooth  water  of  the  harbor  to  the  rough 
sea  outside  was  very  marked,  and  we  were  scarcely  outside  Cape 
Kaleghta,  and  working  on  a  course  east  of  north  toward  Nounivak  Island* 
than  the  Jeannette  began  her  gambols  again,  rolling  and  pitching  so  as 
to  make  locomotion  difficult  except  between  the  cabin  table  and  the 
partitions.  The  winds  being  favorable  from  the  southward,  the  ship, 
under  full  steam  and  sail,  rather  astonished  us  by  making  five  and  six 
knots  steadily  for  the  first  day  out.  But  as  the  second  day.  dawned  with 
half  a  gale  blowing,  the  Jeannette  increased  her  speed,  so  that  we  actually 
made  1 73  miles  in  twenty-four  hours,  something  that  gave  us  much  cause 
for  rejoicing.  The  coal  we  got  at  Ounalaska,  although  it  burned  like 
chaff,  made  steam  quickly,  and  our  engines,  thoroughly  overhauled  by 
Mr.  Melville  while  in  port,  worked  well.  We  congratulated  ourselves, 
therefore,  on  a  probable  quick  run  to  St.  Michael's,  and  nothing  seemed 
to  threaten  delay  but  the  possible  non-arrival  of  our  supply  schooner,  the 
Fannie  A.  Hyde,  of  San  Francisco.  But  in  these  latitudes  uncertain 
winds  are  the  rule  during  the  summer  time,  so  that  we  had  to  come  down 
on  the  third  day  to  our  ordinary  speed  of  four  knots,  which  we  carried 
into  this  port,  making  the  run  in  six  days  exactly  from  Cape  Kaleghta 
to  Stuart's  Island,  Norton's  Sound. 

"  The  importance  of  determining  the  character  of  the  bottom  as  we 

755 


756 


DAILT  OBSERVATIONS. 


proceeded,  rendered  a  daily  stop  necessary  for  sounding.  We  also 
dredged  every  day  except  when  the  water  was  too  rough.  Soundings 
ran  from  eighty  to  five  fathoms  as  we  came  north  on  a  bottom  composed 
of  fine  gray  sand  and  ooze,  covered  with  moss-like  vegetation  which  was 
inhabited  by  an  extraordinary  variety  of  marine  life.  We  also  used  the 
deep  sea  cups  and  thermometers  for  determining  the  densities  and  tem- 
pe"atures  at  various  depths.  These  I  found  to  work  very  well,  consider- 
ing that  our  men  are  as  yet  a  little  awkward  in  handling  the  lines,  but 
are  improving  very  rapidly.  Our  hourly  meteorological  observations  are 
made  each  day  with  the  utmost 
regularity.  We  have  divided  up 
the  time  into  watches,  and  the 
work  goes  on  steadily.  For 
instance,  I  begin  :«t  noon  and  stand 
watch  (meteorologically  speaking) 
until  6  P.  M.  I  am  then  relieved 
by  Mr.  Chipp,  first  lieutenant,  who 
observes  at  7  and  8;  then  Dr. 
Ambler  at  9,  10,  n,  and  midnight. 
My  turn  comes  again,  so  I  observe 
at  i,  2,  3  and  4  A.  M.,  and  am  re- 
lieved by  Mr.  Danenhower,  who 
takes  5  and  6  A.  M.  At  7  and  8 
Mr.  Chipp  observes,  and  from  nine 
to  noon  inclusive,  Dr.  Ambler. 
Our  hours  of  duty  per  day  in  making  observations  are  therefore,  Mr. 
Chipp,  four  hours,  Mr.  Danenhower,  who  is  navigator,  two  hours;  Dr. 
Ambler  eight  hours,  and  myself  ten  hours.  Besides  this  I  keep  the  regu- 
lar meteorological  record  and  note  sea  temperatures  and  densities,  and 
make  up  my  journal ;  so  that  you  may  see  there  is  no  time  for  doing 
nothing  left  for  us  on  board. 

"On  the  evening  of  the  nth  we  sighted  land  on  the  starboard  beam 

O  <-J 

— that  is  to  say  to  the  eastward — and  by  continuous  sounding  determined 
our  locality  to  be  off  Stuart's  Island,  in  Norton   Sound.     The  land   was 


JEROME  J.    COLLINS. 


1 

THE  STOCK  OF  DOGS.  757 

low,  and  discernible  only  by  a  slight  rise  or  hill  which  showed  above  the 
horizon.  We  steamed  at  a  very  moderate  speed  all  night,  and  by  ten  A. 
M.  on  the  1 2th  were  at  anchor  opposite  the  little  settlement  and  block- 
house known  as  Michaelovskoi  by  the  Russians,  and  as  St.  Michael's  by 
the  Americans.  We  were  soon  after  boarded  by  Mr.  Neumann,  the 
Alaska  Commercial  Company's  agent,  and  offered  the  hospitalities  of  the 
place,  with  every  addition  to  our  supplies  which  the  company's  stores 
would  afford.  Going  ashore  soon  after  I  found  the  '  fort,'  a  curious 
collection  of  wooden  buildings,  forming  a  small  quadrangle,  on  the  cor- 
ners of  which  are  little  block  houses,  which  were  armed  with  small  can- 
non during  the  Russian  possession  of  Alaska,  but  which  at  present  are  of 
no  special  value  for  defense.  Within  the  inclosure,  and  fronting  inward, 
are  the  storehouses  and  dwellings.  The  latter  are  occupied  by  Mr.  Neu- 
mann, the  company's  agent,  and  Mr.  Nelson,  an  employ^  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution  and  observer  of  the  United  States  Signal  Service,  a 
few  Russian  workmen,  and  some  Indians  who  work  about  the  fort.  The 
quarters  of  the  agent  and  the  Smithsonian  collector  are  plainly  but  com- 
fortably furnished,  and  it  is  clear  that  these  gentlemen  are  philosophers 
enough  to  content  themselves  pretty  well  with  their  isolated  position. 

"All  our  dogs  were  at  St.  Michael's  when  we  arrived.  They  are  a  fine- 
looking  lot  of  animals,  but  inclined  for  a  general  row  at  the  shortest  no- 
tice. They  loll  around  the  inclosure  or  sit  out  on  the  rocks  near  the 
fort,  and  occasionally  set  up  a  long,  peculiar  howl  that  sounds  at  night 
like  a  summons  of  Satan  to  his  satraps  for  a  general  council.  At  feeding 
time  the  dogs  get  their  daily  allowance  of  dry  fish,  and  while  that  is  be- 
ing thrown  to  them  the  sounds  of  battle  rise  and  float  on  the  breeze.  On 
general  principles  the  Esquimaux  dogs  will  fight,  and  it  is  often  a  matter 
of  wonder  what  the  row  is  about.  The  dogs  will  be  walking  or  lying 
about  quietly,  when  suddenly  one  will  make  a  rush  at  another,  and  then 
the  whole  pack  pitches  in,  every  dog  for  himself.  In  these  remarkable 
combats  nine  of  the  dogs  originally  provided  for  us  by  the  Alaska 
Commercial  Company  have  been  killed  by  their  fellow  canines.  We 
are  getting  some  recruits  now  and  expect  to  leave  here  with  about  forty- 
five  good  dogs  on  board.  Of  course  we  will  have  native  drivers  with  us 


758  EVIL   SPIRITS. 

to  manage  these  unruly  brutes,  and  I  believe  arrangements  are  now  be- 
ing made  with  Esquimaux  hunters  to  act  in  that  capacity.  The  store- 
house of  the  Alaska  Company  here  is  filled  with  a  collection  of  trade 
goods  similar  to  that  we  found  at  Ounalaska,  except  that  the  assortment 
is  not  so  varied,  nor  the  quantity  as  great.  The  furs  brought  to  the  post 
are  from  the  lower  Yukon  River  region  and  the  adjacent  coasts.  The  In- 
dians come  in  by  villages,  and  under  the  general  control  of  a  chief,  who 
directs  the  negotiations.  In  this  way,  fox,  bear,  sable,  wolf  and  squirrel 
skins  are  procured  in  exchange  for  coffee,  sugar,  tobacco,  powder,  lead 
(shot  and  bullets),  guns  (muzzle-loading  rifles  and  shot-guns),  clothing 
and  notions.  Whalebones  for  sledge-runners  are  sometimes  bought,  but 
these  come  from  the  northern  or  Siberian  coasts,  and  are  regarded  as 
valuable.  Dogs  are  purchased,  as  in  the  present  instance  for  us,  for  guns, 
the  average  price  of  a  good  dog  being  about  $7  in  goods.  Extra  good 
dogs  are  worth  as  much  as  $15,  but  that  is  a  top  price,  and  is  sometimes 
given  for  a  highly  trained  team-leader. 

"As  soon  as  the  natives  complete  their  trade  they  return  to  their  vil- 
lages to  enjoy  their  newly  acquired  property,  and  the  little  fort  is  dull 
again  until  another  party  arrives  from  the  interior.  The  experience  of 
the  agent  and  white  residents  here  is  a  favorable  one  as  regards  the  na- 
tives, but  sometimes  the  latter  become  restless  and  inclined  for  war.  Last 
year  a  chief  residing  about  sixty  miles  to  the  northward  made  repeated 
threats  to  come  in  and  clean  out  St.  Michael's.  The  place  was  put  in  a 
fair  state  of  defense  by  Mr.  Neumann,  and  preparations  were  made  to  give 
the  coming  warriors  a  right  hospitable  reception  at  the  rifle's  muzzle. 
But — they  never  came.  The  warlike  chief  purchased  two  barrels  of 
whiskey  from  some  traders  and  went  on  an  unusually  heavy  spree,  which 
resulted  in  his  having  his  head  split  open  with  an  axe  by  his  brothec-in- 
law,  a  similar  fate  overtaking  his  son.  Since  this  domestic  tragedy  oc- 
curred the  people  of  the  fort  have  heard  no  more  threats  from  up  the 
coast,  and  '  Peace,  gentle  peace,'  prevails.  The  surviving  relatives  of 
the  chief,  associating  the  valiant  man's  death  with  the  proprietorship  of 
two  barrels  of  whiskey,  wisely  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  whiskey 
was  the  cause  of  the  violent  taking  off,  so  they  knocked  in.the  heads  of  the 


A   HUNTING-PARTT.  759 

barrels,  and  let  the  evil  spirits  run.     This  precaution  probably  prevented 
the  decimation  of  the  tribe. 

"The  country  surrounding  the  post  is  wholly  volcanic.  Every  emi- 
nence in  sight  is  the  cone  of  an  extinct  volcano.  The  rocks  are  lava, 
which,  in  cooling,  has  split  up  into  a  rude  columnar  structure,  and  show 
in  some  places  the  evidences  of  pressure  in  the  shape  of  curlings  of  the 
surface  and  other  distortions.  The  exposed  surfaces  and  those  of  frac- 
tures exhibit  alike  the  honeycombing  caused  during  cooling.  The  sand  of 
the  beach  is  composed  of  pulverized  lava,  and  this  material  enters  largely 
into  the  sand  found  off  the  coast  from  Ounalaska  northward.  Quite  close 
to  the  settlement  there  is  a  crater  which  now  forms  the  basin  of  a  pretty 
lake.  I  have  received  specimens  of  lava  from  different  points  inland  and 
along  the  shore,  which  will  go  to  my  geological  collection.  Immense 
quantities  of  driftwood  may  be  seen  along  the  shore  of  Norton  Sound, 
and  on  the  island  beaches.  This  wood  comes  chiefly  from  the  Yukon 
River,  which  empties  into  the  Behring  Sea  by  several  mouths.  As  the 
Yukon  drains  a  great  timber  country,  and  is  navigable  for  over  1,800 
miles  from  its  mouth,  the  quantity  of  drift  brought  down  and  carried  in- 
to the  bays  and  sounds  to  the  northward  and  eastward,  is  immense.  The 
natives  haul  out  the  larger  pieces  and  pile  them  up  out  of  reach  of  the 
tide  until  they  dry  sufficiently  for  fuel.  Such  piles  can  be  seen  at  inter- 
vals of  a  few  hundred  yards  all  around  this  great  bay.  The  surface  soil 
overlying  the  lava  formation  is  mostly  peat,  and  bears  a  close  resem- 
blance to  peat  lands  elsewhere,  except  in  the  beauty  and  variety  of  vege- 
tation that  clothes  the  whole  country.  There  are  no  trees,  but  the  low 
shrubs,  grasses,  flowering  plants  and  mosses  are  very  fine,  especially  the 
latter,  which  vary  more  in  color  than  I  have  seen  in  any  other  place. 

A  HUNTING  PARTY  FROM  THE  JEANNETTE. 

"  Up  the  sound  which  divides  St.  Michael's  Island  from  the  mainland 
the  shores  are  chiefly  salt  marsh  tracts,  dotted  with  ponds,  which  are  the 
breeding  places  of  wild  ducks  and  geese,  snipe,  and  other  water  birds. 
To  get  something  for  the  larder  by  way  of  change  from  the  canned 
meat  a  party  of  us  started  up  the  'Crooked  Canal,'  as  it  is  called,  in  the 


700  A  PERILOUS  POSITION. 

steam  cutter.  We  carried  a  tent  and  provisions  for  two  days,  besides  our 
guns  and  ammunition,  blankets,  etc.  Our  luck  among  the  wildfowls 
proved  indifferent,  the  birds  being  scared  off  by  the  steam  escape  from' 
our  cutter.  We  secured,  however,  about  fifteen  ducks  and  some  thirty 
snipes.  An  Indian  hunter  acted  as  guide  and  pilot,  but  the  man  was  in 
poor  health  and  did  not  prove  equal  to  any  of  us  whites  in  endurance  of 
fatigue.  We  camped  for  the  night  on  the  marsh  edge  and  under  a  heavy 
rainfall,  which  soaked  the  ground  and  made  us  about  as  uncomfortable  a 
lot  of  sportsmen  as  ever  huddled  together  under  canvas.  Next  morn- 
ing the  weather  continued  bad,  and  the  Indian  being  used  up  with  an  at- 
tack of  ague,  we  started  back  to  the  ship.  In  crossing  the  bar  in  face  of 
a  heavy  sea  fhe  cutter  took  water  so  rapidly  that  we  came  near  being 
swamped,  and  reached  the  ship  after  a  long  and  most  fatiguing  struggle 
for  life.  We  had  all  removed  our  outer  clothing  and  boots  preparatory 
for  a  swim,  and  when  we  got  on  board  the  Jeannette,  worn  out,  hungry 
and  wet,  I  can  assure  you  the  cabin  fire  and  a  hot  breakfast  were  thor- 
oughly enjoyed  by  the  party.  I  must  say  that  to  the  pluck  and  skill  of 
Mr.  Melville,  the  chief  engineer,  who  had  charge  of  the  running  of  the 
cutter's  engine,  and  to  Mr.  Dunbar,  the  ice  pilot,  who  steered  us,  are  due 
the  safety  of  the  whole  party.  Our  signals  of  distress  were  misunder- 
stood on  the  ship,  and  it  was  not  until  we  were  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  her,  with  our  cutter  half  full  of  water  and  her  boiler  fire  extinguished 
that  a  boat  was  lowered  to  rescue  us.  The  party  thus  imperiled  con- 
sisted of  Mr.  Melville,  Mr.  Dunbar,  Dr.  Ambler,  myself,  and  our  Indian 
hunter.  To  show  the  quickness  of  perception  of  the  natives  on  shore  I 
may  mention  that  while  we  were  struggling  with  the  sea,  and  working 
to  keep  the  boat  afloat,  the  natives  recognized  our  position  and  at  once 
reported  it  at  the  fort.  The  ship  was  a  mile  nearer  to  us  than  the  native 
village,  yet  no  one  on  board  seemed  to  understand  the  meaning  of  the 
jacket  hoisted  on  a  boat-hook,  which  Dr.  Ambler  was  waving  for  nearly 
an  hour  before  any  stir  was  made  to  lower  a  boat. 

"  Our  shallow  bay  has  afforded  us  a  fair  supply  of  excellent  fish,  in- 
cluding some  superb  salmon.  We  have  a  net  set,  and  daily  get  a  good 
number  of  flounders  and  other  small  fish,  besides  an  occasional  beauty 


A   RUSSIAN  BATH.  7«il 

with  delicate  pink  flesh.  None  but  those  who  have  not  tasted  these  del- 
icacies for  a  month  or  so  can  appreciate  the  flavor  of  broiled  flounder  or 
salmon,  pointed  by  appetite,  and  washed  down  with  big  cups  of  tea.  I 
suppose  an  epicure  would  prefer  a  more  refined  arrangement  of  eatables 
and  drinkables,  but  on  this  cruise  such  exacting  persons  would  be  miser- 
able. We  eat  and  drink  things  as  they  come,  being  thankful  the  while 
for  such  small  favors  as  the  Lord  sends  in  the  way  of  a  change  of  dishes. 
After  our  adventure  in  the  steam  cutter  we  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  gen- 
uine Russian  bath  at  the  fort.  The  bathhouse  is  a  long  structure  fitted 
with  two  chambers,  the  outer  and  inner.  In  the  latter  is  a  stove-like 
fireplace  with  a  receptacle  for  hot  stones,  which  are  placed  there  after 
being  raised  to  a  red  heat.  Then  the  smoke  hole  is  closed,  the  skin- 
lined  door  made  fast,  and  some  water  is  thrown  on  the  hot  stones.  Phew ! 
what  a  temperature  is  raised.  The  blood  almost  boils  in  the  veins, 
and  one  gasps  for  breath,  but  the  pores  are  open,  and  the  peculiar  pro- 
cess of  the  Russian  bath  is  gone  through  by  the  bather  until  human  na- 
ture can  stand  no  more.  Then,  sousing  himself  well  in  water,  he  rushes 
out  into  the  antechamber,  or  outer  room,  where  he  is  rubbed  down, 
cooled  off,  and  allowed  to  dress.  The  pleasant  feeling  experienced  after 
bathing  is  certainly  purchased  by  much  broiling  and  stewing,  but  the 
beneficial  effects  on  the  system,  when  the  bath  is  cautiously  used,  are 
very  marked.  Let  me  not  forget  the  cigar  and  glass  of  Russian  tea  af- 
ter bathing.  These  are  absolutely  necessary  to  true  enjoyment.  Al- 
though the  bathhouse  at  St.  Nicholas  is  not  the  most  inviting  looking 
place  in  the  world,  it  serves  its  purpose  admirably,  showing  that  the  value 
of  things  must  not  be  judged  by  appearances. 

"On  the  1 8th  our  long-expected  supply  schooner,  the  Fanny  A. 
Hyde  of  San  Francisco,  laden  with  coals  and  extra  stores,  was  sighted 
oft"  Stuart's  Island,  making  for  our  anchorage.  Never  was  a  more  wel- 
come object  presented  to  impatient  mariners  than  the  said  schooner  when 
she  rounded  the  point  of  St.  Michael's  Island  in  full  view  of  our  ship. 
By  noon  she  was  alongside,  and  her  captain  in  our  cabin,  relating  the 
causes  of  his  delay  in  arriving.  Calms,  fogs,  etc.,  formed  reasonable  ex- 
cuses for  the  slow  voyage  of  forty-one  days  from  San  Francisco  made  by 


7 •:•>  A  FORCED   TREATT   WITH  CANINES. 

% 

one  of  the  fastest  schooners  running  out  of  that  port.  Similar  causes  de- 
tained us,  although  we  had  steam  to  propel  us.  But  the  Fanny  A.  Hyde 
had  come  at  last,  and  that  meant  we  might  go  on  our  way  rejoicing  in  a 
few  days,  and  after  the  coals  and  stores  have  been  transferred  to  our 
bunkers  and  holds.  We  need  the  anthracite  coal  that  has  just  come  very 
much,  as  our  present  stock  of  soft  coal  would  not  last  us  any  time,  should 
we  need  to  use  it.  To  save  delay  we  take  a  heavy  deck-load  of  coal,  as 
well  as  the  quantity  in  our  well  packed  bunkers,  and  the  Jeannette  is 
again  laden  down  to  her  doubling,  as  deep  as  she  was  when  leaving  San 
Francisco.  The  schooner  goes  with  us  to  St.  Lawrence  Ba\-,  in  Eastern 
Siberia,  and  about  thirty  miles  south  of  East  Cape. 

"  We  have  our  dogs  on  board,  about  forty  in  number.  They  raise  a 
tremendous  row  about  every  fifteen  minutes,  space  on  our  crowded  deck 
alone  governing  the  number  of  combatants  engaged.  I  think  if  we 
could  give  these  unruly  brutes  room  enough  to  fight,  the  battle  would 
continue  until  the  last  pair  died,  chewing  each  other's  throats.  This  dog 
war  illustrates  very  amusingly  the  value  of  armed  intervention  at  the 
right  moment.  When  the  bitterness  of  the  combat  reaches  its  height 
one  of  our  men  interferes  with  a  rope's  end,  and  with  the  utmost  impar- 
tiality lays  about  him  vigorously.  A  suspension  of  canine  hostilities  is 
the  immediate,  but,  I  regret  to  say,  temporary  result.  The  dogs  make 
remarks  and  confer  in  a  high  key  and  retire  for  consultation,  but  like  the 
conferences  at  Constantinople  these  interchanges  of  diplomatic  confiden- 
ces only  seem  to  make  matters  worse  in  some  other  quarter  of  the  deck, 
and  the  din  of  the  battle  is  heard  soon  again.  Still  the  Bismarckian 
rope's  end  works  wonders,  even  though  it  enforces  a  Treaty  of  Ver- 
sailles fifteen  minutes  after  the  Treaty  of  Prague  has  been  ratified  by  the 
dog  powers,  and  ominously  swings  like  a  Treaty  of  Berlin  over  the 
Esquimaux  dogs. 

u  We  have  with  us  for  the  voyage  north  two  natives  from  Norton 
Sound,  or  the  St.  Michael's  district.  One  of  these,  Alexai,  as  he  is 
called,  speaks  a  little  English,  and  is  boch  intelligent  and  useful  as  a  dog- 
driver  and  hunter;  Aniguin,  the  other  and  younger  native,  is  a  fine-look- 
ing fellow,  with  a  broad,  boyish  face,  and  pleasant  expression.  He  speaks 


MR.  AND  MRS.  ALEXAI.  763 

no  English,  but  gets  along  very  well  with  the  aid  of  his  comrade  as  an 
interpreter.  The  Captain  has  entered  into  a  regular  agreement  with 
these  adventurous  savages,  by  which  he  binds  himself  to  bring  them 
buck,  to  support  the  wife  of  Alexai  and  the  mother  of  Aniguin  during 

the  absence  of  the  husband  and  son,  to  pay  them  regular  monthly  wages, 

* 
and  to  give  Alexai  a  Winchester  rifle  and  a  certain  quantity  of  fixed 

ammunition  when  dismissing  him  from  the  service  of  the  Jeannette.  As 
these  Indians  are  good,  clever  fellows,  and  important  to  us  because  of 
their  familiarity  with  dog  matters,  I  think  we  have  them  on  very  reason- 
able terms.  Mrs.  Alexai,  a  chubby-faced,  shy,  but  good-humored  look- 
ing young  female,  came  on  board  to  see  her  husband  off  on  his  long 
cruise.  She  behaved  with  great  propriety  under  the  circumstances,  and, 
although  an  Esquimaux,  did  not  show  any  inclination  to  blubber  at  part- 
ing with  the  one  to  whom  she  was  sealed  for  life.  Alexai  behaved  also 
with  stoicism  tempered  by  affection  for  his  spouse.  They  sat  together 
hand  in  hand  on  some  bags  of  potatoes  near  the  cabin  door,  and  probably 
exchanged  vows  of  eternal  fidelity.  I  was  greatly  touched,  and  got  up 
on  the  bridge  with  my  sketch  block,  on  which  I  outlined  their  figures. 
I  had  to  take  them  as  they  sat,  with  backs  toward  me,  for  Mrs.  Alexai 
was  too  modest  to  face  the  pencil.  Before  leaving  the  ship  CapL  De 
Long  gave  the  bereaved  one  a  cup  and  saucer  \vith  gilt  letters  on  it.  She 
seemed  overpowered  with  emotion  at  the  possession  of  such  unique 
treasures,  and  at  once  hid  them  in  the  ample  folds,  or  rather  stowage 
places,  of  her  for  dress. 

"  As  we  left  the  Bay  of  St.  Michael's  on  the  evening  of  the  2ist  the 
guns  at  the  fort  and  at  the  agency  of  the  Western  Fur  and  Trading 
Company  across  the  bay,  belched  forth  a  parting  salute.  The  sea  was  as 
smooth  as  glass,  and  the  sky  almost  perfectly  clear.  Such  weather  at  this 
season  is  not  uncommon  in  Norton  Sound,  but  not  infrequently  precedes 
a  hard  northern  blow.  This  we  got  on  the  23d,  when  we  cleared  Sledge 
Island  and  commenced  to  cross  the  waters  of  the  straits.  It  was  my 
watch  (meteorological)  from  i  A.  M.  to  4  A.  M.,  and  I  noticed  the 
smooth  sea  beginning  to  undulate  heavily  from  tlie  northward.  This 
indicated  at  once  a  disturbance  of  the  weather  to  the  north  and  wot. 


764  MORE    TCHUKTCHIS. 

Later  in  the  day  the  sea  rose  to  a  very  great  height,  washing  our  decks 
and  carrying  away  some  of  our  light  works.  The  forecastle  got  well 
drenched,  the  bridge  stove  by  a  sea,  and  the  captain's  window  broken  in 
and  his  room  flooded,  by  another.  On  deck  we  were  part  of  the  time 
knee  deep  in  water.  The  wind  howled  for  hours  and  sharply  cut  off  the 
wave  crests,  so  that  the  spray  flew  like  small  shot  across  the  decks.  The 
ship  was  hove  to  and  we  rode  out  the  gale  pretty  well,  considering  that 
the  Jeannette  had  all  she  could  carry  on  board.  As  the  sea  moderated 
we  got  under  way  again  and  arrived  here  on  the  25th,  experiencing  very 
fine  weather  when  entering  the  harbor.  Skin  boats  (baidaras)  filled 
with  dirty  looking,  skin-dressed  natives  of  the  Tchuktchi  tribe,  came 
alongside.  They  thought  we  were  a  trader.  From  these  we  learned 
about  Prof.  Nordenskiold  what  I  sent  you  by  telegraph  from  San 
Francisco.  I  need  not  repeat  here  what  I  then  told  you,  as  it  was  sub- 
stantially as  the  native  chief  told  the  Captain  in  my  presence.  Our 
schooner  arrived  yesterday  (26th)  with  the  balance  of  the  coal  which  we 
could  not  take  at  St.  Michael's.  The  Captain  also  desired  to  have  a 
means  of  sending  the  very  latest  news  regarding  our  movements  and 
what  we  could  learn  about  Prof.  Nordenskiold.  All  before  us  now 
is  uncertainty,  because  our  movements  will  be  governed  by  circumstances 
over  which  we  can  have  no  control.  If,  as  I  telegraphed,  the  search  for 
Nordenskiold  is  now  needless,  we  will  try  and  reach  Wrangell  Land  and 
find  a  winter  harbor  on  that  new  land,  on  which,  we  believe,  the  white 
man  has  not  yet  put  his  foot.  At  the  worst  we  may  winter  in  Siberia 
and  '  go  for'  the  Wrangell  Land  mystery  next  spring.  I  am  in  great 
hopes  we  will  reach  there  this  season.  We  are  amply  supplied  with  fur 
clothing  and  provisions,  so  that  we  can  feed  and  keep  warm  in  any  event 
for  some  time.  Our  dogs  will  enable  us  to  make  explorations  to  con- 
siderable distances  from  the  ship,  and  determine  the  character  of  the 
country.  Feeling  that  we  have  the  sympathy  of  all  we  left  at  home,  we 
go  north,  trusting  in  God's  protection  and  our  good  fortune.  Farewell." 
The  following  is  Commander  DeLong's  dispatch  of  the  2yth  of 
August,  from  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  at  Wash- 
ington: "Arrived  25th;  leave  for  Serdze  Kamen  to-night.  All  well. 


DE  LONG'S  DISPATCH.  7«5 

Natives  report  Nordenskiold  passed  south  three  months  ago,  stopping 
here  one  day,  having  wintered  at  Kolyutchin  Bay.  Mentioned  one  offi- 
cer, a  Russian,  who  spoke  the  native  language,  as  named  *  Charpish,' 
possibly  Lieut.  Nordquist,  of  the  Russian  navy,  accompanying  Nordens- 
kiold, who  said  the  ship  was  going  home.  Leave  here  to  verify  account 
along  the  coast.  Hope  to  reach  Wrangell  Land  this  season."  To  the 
two  native  hunters  and  dog-drivers,  who  evinced  some  misgivings  about 
the  voyage  to  the  unexplored  north,  DeLong  said  that  himself  and  the 
ship's  company  were  not  bent  on  throwing  their  lives  away,  and  that 
they  would  be  entirely  safe,  as  far  as  human  energy  and  foresight  could 
preserve  them.  He  was  evidently  satisfied  with  the  completeness  of  his 
outfit,  and  the  ample  provision  which  had  been  made  for  all  their  wants, 
as  well  as  for  a  successful  exploration  of  "  the  great  blank  space  beyond 
the  7  ist  parallel." 


CHAPTER    LXXXIII. 

THIi  JEANNETTE    ENTERS    THE    ARCTIC  ARRIVES  AT    KOLYUTCHIN 

HAY FIRST  BEAR  AND  SEAL  KILLED THE  JEANNETTE  FIRMLY 

FROZEN  IN — DANENHOWER'S  STATEMENT — THE  WINTER  NIGHT 
BEGINS HERALD  ISLAND  IN  SIGHT THE  JEANNETTE  HELP- 
LESS AND  CRIPPLED CONJECTURES  AS  TO  THE  JEANNETTE's 

FATE CONTINUED  APPREHENSION. 

The  ship's  company  was  now  thirty-three,  one  of  the  Chinese  having 
been  permitted  to  abandon  the  expedition  at  St.  Michael's,  because  of 
ill  health,  while,  as  has  been  stated,  two  Indians  had  been  added  to  the 
crew.  With  the  whole  company  in  good  health  and  excellent  spirits, 
the  Jeannette  steamed  away  from  St.  Lawrence  Bay  on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  27th,  at  7:30,  and  passing  East  Cape  on  the  28th,  at 
3  P.  M.,  reached  Cape  Serdze  Kamen,  that  is,  Stone  Heart— so  called 
from  a  large  heart-shaped  rock  off  the  cape — on  the  2pth,  at  5  P.  M.  Here 
De  Long  deposited  papers  and  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  which 
came  to  hand  thirteen  months  later.  In  this  letter,  after  detailing  their 
departure  and  arrival,  as  above,  and  the  confirmation  of  the  opinion  al- 
ready formed  that  the  Swedish  Expedition  had  passed  safely  south,  he 
adds,  "  The  officers  and  men  under  my  command  are  all  well,  and  we 
expect  to  sail  to-night  for  Wrangell  Land  via  Kolyutchin."  It  was  now 
obvious  that  the  Vega  was  the  vessel  reported  by  the  natives  of  St.  Law- 
rence Bay  as  having  been  seen  in  the  outer  haven  or  roadstead  "  for  one 
day  three  months  before  " — in  reality,  for  a  few  hours,  about  thirty-seven 
days  before.  The  Jeannette  arrived  at  Kolyutchin  Bay  on  the  3 1  st,  and 
it  now  only  remained  for  her  commander  to  push  forward  before  the 
close  of  the  season,  to  such  winter  quarters  for  his  vessel  as  fortune 
might  supply  on  Herald  Island  or  Wrangell  Land,  discovered  or  redis- 
covered by  Capt.  Kellett,  in  1849.  Accordingly  they  pushed  northwest 

766 


F/KST  BEAR  AND  SEAL  KILLED.  707 

at  4  P.  M.  the  same  day.  After  reaching  Serdze  Kamen,  they  had  sev- 
eral interviews  with  the  natives,  some  of  the  officers  making  two  trips 
ashore,  and  some  of  the  Tchuktchis  getting  to  the  Jeannette  in  their 
skin-boats.  Among  other  things  the  winter  quarters  of  the  Vega  were 
pointed  out,  and  they  found  the  natives  "  hospitable,  stalwart  and  hand- 
some," warmly  clad  and  seemingly  contented,  though  the  visitors  had 
traversed  a  barren,  forbidding  tundra,  to  reach  them. 

On  the  3d  of  September  the  Jeannette  was  seen  about  six  miles 
ahead  by  the  whaler  Sea  Breeze,  in  about  70°  52'  by  174°,  in  an  open 
channel — between  an  eastern  floe  and  a  western  pack,  with  another  pack 
to  the  north,  making  west-northwest  for  Herald  Island  or  Wrangell's  Land, 
but  a  few  miles  nearer  southeast  of  the  latter  than  the  former.  On  the 
forenoon  of  the  $d  she  was  seen  several  times — whenever  the  fog  lifted — 
by  the  same  bark,  which  was  following  in  her  track,  at  a  distance  now 
of  nine  or  ten  miles.  "  On  the  afternoon  of  the  4th,"  says  Capt.  Barnes 
of  the  Sea  Breeze,  "  it  cleared  up  nicely,  with  nothing  in  sight  but  ice 
far  and  near."  This  was  the  last  seen  of  the  Jeannette  by  any  one  out- 
side of  her  own  company. 

It  was,  however,  afterward  ascertained  that  they  sighted  Kolyutchin 
Island  on  the  ist  of  September,  and  Herald  Island  on  the  4th.  They 
saw  the  whaler  already  referred  to,  and  stopped  engines  in  the  hope 
that  she  would  approach,  exchange  courtesies,  and  take  home  their  mail. 
While  lying  to  they  killed  their  first  bear  and  seal  on  an  ice-floe.  On 
the  6th,  with  Commander  DeLong  aloft  in  the  crow's-nest,  on  the  look- 
out, she  entered  a  lane  which  he  supposed  was  the  continuation  of  the 
lead  between  the  east  and  west  packs  they  had  been  following,  and 
which  he  hoped  might  be  followed  in  safety  into  one  of  the  many  poly- 
nias or  expanses  of  open  water,  so  often  referred  to  by  Russian  navi- 
gators and  sledge-explorers  in  those  regions.  Through  the  rapidly- 
forming  new  ice  the  iron  prow  of  the  Jeannette  rammed  her  slow 
way  until  '  4  in  the  afternoon,  when  she  became  immovable.  All 
efforts  to  push  forward  proved  vain,  and  no  lane  presenting  itself  on 
.either  hand,  they  were  compelled  to  desist,  and  await  the  chances 
of  the  morning.  Her  fires  were  only  banked,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  push 


768  THE   JEANNETTE  FROZEN  IN. 

forward  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  night  proved  exceptionally  cold 
for  even  those  high  latitudes,  and  the  new  ice  could  be  almost  seen 
to  grow  thick  and  strong  as  they  helplessly  looked  on. 

On  the  morning  of  the  yth  the  Jeannette  was  found  to  be  firmly 
frozen  in.  A  full  examination  showed  that  she  was  surrounded  by  an 
accumulation  of  ice-floes  frozen  together  by  the  new  ice,  and  extending 
perhaps  four  miles.  The  old  ice  was  in  pieces  ranging  from  ten  square 
yards  to  several  acres,  with  narrow  veins  of  water  now  frozen  over 
with  new  ice.  In  that  one  unlucky  night  she  had  involuntarily  formed 
a  nucleus  around  which  the  moving  floes  were  arrested  long  enough 
to  be  welded  into  one  solid  mass  by  their  mutual  impact,  the  new  ice 
serving  as  an  effective  solder.  Herald  Island  was  in  sight  at  a  distance 
of  twenty-one  miles;  but  when  an  attempt  was  made  by  Chipp,  Dun- 
bar,  Melville  and  Alexai,  to  effect  a  landing  there  on  the  i3th,  it  proved 
inaccessible  because  of  open  water  within  six  miles  of  land.  The  next 
day  the  party  returned,  it  being  deemed  inadvisable  to  prolong  the  effort, 
necessarily  attended  with  much  danger,  for  the  barren  achievement  of 
landing  on  the  island  while  there  was  no  chance  of  working  the  ship 
thither  into  harbor.  There  was  the  further  risk  that  such  exploring 
party  might  be  left  behind,  as  the  vessel  was  entirely  uncontrollable, 
and  might  be  carried  away  with  her  ice-dock  before  their  return.  Drift- 
ing northwestward,  they  sighted  Wrangell  Land  to  the  south,  on  the 
2  ist  of  October,  and  indeed  saw  it  frequently  afterward,  to  the  south  and 
west,  and  on  the  28th  and  2pth  of  October  were  so  near  that  they  could 
distinguish  some  of  its  mountains  and  glaciers,  which  eventually  grew  to 
be  like  familiar  acquaintances,  as  they  remained  so  long  beset  in  those 
waters.  The  whole  month  was  very  quiet,  the  nights  being  very  clear 
and  beautiful.  Even  in  September  there  were  no  equinoctial  gales  as 
anticipated. 

"About  the  6th  of  November,''  says  Danenhower,  "  the  ice  began  to 
break  up.  We  had  previously  observed  considerable  agitation  about  the 
full  and  change  of  the  moon,  and  attributed  it  to  tidal  action.  This  was 
observed  particularly  when  we  were  between  Herald  Island  and  Wran- 
gell Land,  and  when  the  water  was  shoaled — that  is,  about  fifteen  fath- 


DANENHOWER'S  STATEMENT. 


769 


oms — the  ice  began  to  break  round  the  ship,  and  a  regular  stream  of 
broken  masses  gradually  encroached  upon  us.  From  aloft  the  floe  that 
had  appeared  so  uniform  a  few  weeks  before,  was  now  tumbled  about,  and 
in  a  state  of  greater  confusion  than  an  old  Turkish  graveyard.  Tracks 
began  to  radiate  from  the  ship,  and  the  noise  and  vibration  of  distant 
ramming  were  terrific,  making  even  the  dogs  whine.  Nov.  23  was  a 
calm,  starlight  night.  I  got  good  star  observations,  with  Melville  mark- 
ing time,  at  1 1  P.  M.  I  was  working  them  up  when  a  crack  was  heard, 
and  we  found  that  the  floe  had  split  and  that  the  ice  on  the  port  side  had 

drifted  off,  leaving  the  ship  lying  in 
a  half  cradle  on  her  starboard  bilge. 
The  water  looked  smooth  and  beau- 
tiful, and  there  was  no  noise  save 
that  of  four  dogs  which  had  drifted 
off  with  the  port  ice.  We  had  pre- 
viously taken  in  the  observatory 
and  had  prepared  for  such  an  ac- 
cident, but  on  the  starboard  side  the 
steam  cutter  and  the  men's  outhouse 
had  been  left.  We  got  the  steam 
cutter  aboard,  but  left  the  outhouse 
standing.  This  was  Noys  ?.£-" 

The  vessel  was  at  all  times  in 
more  or  less   imminent   clanger  of 
LIEUT.  JOHN  w.  DANENHOWER.  being     crushed    by    some    violent 

movement  in  the  surrounding  ice,  which  drove  her  hither  and  thither 
under  the  changing  pressure  of  winds  and  currents.  Engineer  Shock's 
heavy  truss,  with  which  she  had  been  strengthened  at  Mare's  Island, 
alone  saved  her  from  being  crushed  on  the  2ist.  After  a  week'  of 
specially  severe  nipping  and  squeezing,  she  was  forced  into  open  water 
on  the  25th,  and  drifted  forty  miles  without  control  until  evening,  when 
she  was  made  fast  to  a  solid  piece  of  floe,  where  she  was  soon  again 

firmly  beset. 

« Several  gales,"  continues  Danenhower,  "the  heaviest  being  about 
49 


770  THE    WINTER  NIGHT  BEGINS. 

fifty  miles  an  hour,  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1879.  The  long  night  com- 
menced about  the  loth  of  November  and  lasted  till  the  25th  of  January, 
1880.  On  November  i  the  winter  routine  commenced.  At  seven,  all 
hands  were  called  up,  and  fires  started  in  the  galleys;  at  nine,  breakfast; 
from  eleven  to  one  guns  given  to  all  hands  to  hunt,  and  for  exercise  on 
the  ice;  at  3  P.  M.  dinner,  then  galley  fires  put  out  to  save  coal;  between 
seven  and  eight,  tea,  made  from  the  Baxter  boiler,  which  was  used  con- 
stantly to  condense  water,  we  having  found  that  the  floe-ice  was  too  salt 
for  use,  and  the  doctor  insisted  on  using  condensed  water.  The  boiler 
was  originally  intended  for  the  electric  light,  but  it  was  found  that  we 
could  not  afford  to  run  the  light,  so  we  used  the  coal  in  condensing 
water.  Twenty-five  pounds  of  coal  per  day  was  allowed  for  heating 
the  cabin,  twenty-five  pounds  for  the  forecastle,  and  ninety  pounds  for 
the  ship's  galley  for  cooking  purposes." 

From  the  date  of  imprisonment,  the  story  of  the  ship  and  her  com- 
pany is  one  uniform  record  of  her  stout  resistance,  with  some  variation  in 
incidents,  and  of  their  good  conduct  and  sustained  courage.  The  dis- 
cipline was  excellent,  there  being  but  one  instance  of  punishment,  for 
thoughtless  profanity,  during  the  whole  period  of  detention.  Officers 
and  crew  were  well  quartered  and  fully  provisioned,  and  the  general 
health  was  unimpaired.  There  was  a  formal  medical  examination  on 
the  first  of  every  month.  With  a  school  of  navigation  and  occasional 
amateur  theatricals,  besides  the  routine  duties  and  the  special  labors  here- 
after mentioned,  the  weary  days  sped  on  with  greater  cheerfulness  and 
contentment  than  could  have  been  expected.  The  commander  was  care- 
ful to  have  religious  services  every  Sunday,  it  being  now  very  generally 
admitted  that  such  devotional  exercises  possess  a  very  specific  value  to 
persons  so  circumstanced.  Thanksgiving,  Christmas  and  New  Year's 
were  observed  aboard  the  Jeannette  with  subdued  festivity  befitting  her 
perilous  position.  Unfortunately  the  opening  year  brought  them  only 
fresh  perils.  Nips  and  squeezes  from  the  besetting  ice  became  again 
frequent  and  severe,  and  early  in  January,  1880,  the  fore-foot  of  the  ves- 
sel was  violently  wrenched  out  of  place.  On  Jan.  19,  after  several  days' 
anxiety  "from  the  crushing  strain  of  the  ice  on  the  ship,  and  the  noise 


NEAR    WRANGELL   LAND.  771 

made  by  the  rising  and  bursting  of  the  floe,  it  was  finally  discovered  that 
the  ship,  after  receiving  several  severe  shocks,  was  leaking  badly. 
Steam  was  got  on  the  engine  boilers,  and  both  steam  and  hand  pumps 
were  worked  day  and  night  until  the  ship  was  freed  from  water.  Stores 
were  hoisted  out  of  the  hold  and  all  preparations  made  to  make  good  the 
retreat  to  Wrangell  Land  if  forced  to  abandon  the  ship.  They  contin- 
ued to  drift  northwest,  and  steam  was  necessary  to  pump  the  ship  until 
May  1 8,  1880. 

On  the  ist  of  February  they  were  distant  about  fifty  miles  from 
Wrangell  Land.  "About  the  middle  of  February  we  were  found  to  be 
about  fifty  miles  from  the  place  where  we  had  entered,  and  Herald 
Island  was  said  to  have  been  in  sight  during  one  day.  During  these  five 
months  we  had  drifted  over  an  immense  area,  approaching  and  receding 
from  the  iSoth  meridian,  but  I  do  not  think  .we  crossed  it  at  that  time. 
We  continued  to  drift  in  this  uncertain  manner.  We  noticed  that  the 
ship  always  took  up  a  rapid  drift  with  southeast  winds  and  a  slow  drift 
with  northeast  winds,  owing,  doubtless,  to  Wrangell  Island  being  under 
our  lee.  Southwest  winds  were  not  frequent."  On  the  22d  thev  dressed 
the  ship  in  honor  of  the  day,  with  hearts  full  of  tender  memories  of  home 
and  kindred  as  well  as  the  hallowed  associations  appertaining  to  the  fes- 
tival. The  coldest  weather  experienced  during  the  whole  period  of  de- 
tention occurred  in  this  month,  the  thermometer  sinking  on  one  occasion 
to  58°  below  zero.  In  March  they  lost  sight  of  land,  with  the  Jeannette 
helpless  and  crippled,  still  aimlessly  drifting  with  the  uncertain  and  dan- 
gerous pack.  April  followed  without  change.  In  the  meantime  a  water- 
tight bulkhead  had  been  built  into  the  forward  part  of  the  ship,  and  the 
spaces  between  the  ship's  frames  filled  in  with  meal,  tallow,  ashes  and 
oakum,  to  keep  out  the  water.  "March  and  April,  1880,"  says  Dan- 
enhower,  "were  passed  quietly,  and  we  were  surprised  at  not  having  any 
March  gales.  The  geese  and  wild  fowls  that  some  of  us  expected  to  see 
on  their  spring  migration  did  not  put  in  an  appearance.  One  poor  eider 
duck  fell  exhausted  near  the  ship,  and  one  of  our  sportsmen  shot  at  it, 
and  after  administering  chloroform  it  succumbed.  There  were  some 
birds  seen  later  in  the  season  moving  to  the  westward,  but  they  were  not 


772  CONJECTURES  AS   TO   THE  SHIP'S  FATE. 

numerous.  A  great  many  mussel  shells  and  quantities  of  mud  were 
often  found  on  the  ice,  which  indicated  that  it  had  been  in  contact  with 
land  or  shoals.  Our  hunters  ranged  far  and  wide  and  often  brought  in 
small  pieces  of  wood — on  one  occasion  a  codfish  head,  and  on  another 
some  stuff  that  was  very  much  like  whale  blubber,  all  of  which  had 
been  found  on  the  ice."  Early  in  May,  under  the  influence  of  gentle 
south  and  southeast  winds  they  drifted  steadily  to  the  northwest.  After 
May  1 8, 1880,  the  water  was  pumped  out  night  and  day  by  hand  pump  or 
windmill  pump  until  the  ship  was  destroyed.  In  June  the  snow  melted 
from  the  surface  of  the  floe,  but  it  would  have  required  a  cargo  of  torpe- 
does to  set  the  ship  free,  so  firmly  was  she  embedded.  The  birthday  of  the 
nation  was  duly  celebrated  by  the  usual  display  of  bunting,  the  vessel  being 
gaily  decorated  in  her  holiday  attire,  and  by  a  festive  entertainment  for  offi- 
cers and  men.  The  thoughts  of  home,  which  they  had  now  abundant 
reason  to  apprehend  they  might  never  see  again,  must  have  mingled  pain- 
fully or  been  no  less  painfully  thrust  aside,  so  as  not  to  mar  the  current  of 
their  transient  merriment.  For  about  fifteen  days  in  July  the  weather 
was  very  bright  and  pleasant;  but  the  latter  part  of  July  and  the  whole 
of  August  were  very  bad,  being  raw,  foggy,  and  unhealthy.  After  a 
short  release  from  her  immediate  ice-envelope  in  the  height  of  summer, 
the  Jeannette,  which  had  in  the  meantime  drifted  far  to  the  northwest  of 
Wrangell  Land,  became  again  firmly  embended  in  ice  eight  feet  thick, 
on  the  6th  of  September,  just  one  week  before  the  relief  ship  Corwin 
relinquished  the  search  for  her  on  the  east  side,  as  related  in  the  next 
chapter. 

Meanwhile,  conjecture  as  to  her  fate  had  become  rife  at  home.  In- 
deed, the  public  alarm  developed  early,  one  might  say  prematurely.  It 
was  understood  theoretically,  that  the  vessel  had  got  beyond  the  channels 
of  regular,  or  even  occasional  communication ;  but  even  this  did  not  pre- 
vent a  sort  of  instinctive  feeling  of  apprehension,  which  manifested  itself 
within  a  few  months  after  her  disappearance.  Attempts  were  made  by 
press  and  platform  to  allay  the  public  alarm,  by  showing  its  unreasonable- 
ness, and  drawing  attention  to  the  fact  that  this  was  exactly  what  had 
been  anticipated.  "  No  news  is  good  news,"  was  repeated  again  and 


CONTINUED  APPREHENSION.  77:5 

again,  showing,  as  was  claimed,  that  the  Jeannette  had  got  where  she 
expected  to  go,  into  winter  quarters  on  Wrangell  Land,  and  had  not 
been  driven  back  to  Siberia,  or  through  Behring's  Strait. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  reasoning  was  faultless,  and  was  not 
without  effect.  But  when  the  whaling  fleet  of  1879  had  returned  later 
than  usual,  and  brought  no  word,  and  when  it  was  further  learned  that 
two  of  their  number,  the  Mount  Wollaston  and  Vigilant  were  missing, 
not  having  been  seen  later  than  Oct.  10,  and  that  too  in  the  same 
region  in  which  the  Jeannette  had  last  been  seen,  the  public  mind  be- 
came perceptibly  more  disturbed.  It  was  apprehended  that  a  like  mis- 
fortune had  befallen  the  three,  and  that  they  had  all  miserably  perished 
in  the  ice.  The  winter  passed  uneasily  in  this  regard ;  and  in  the  spring 
petitions  were  forwarded  to  the  naval  authorities  asking  that  a  relief  ex- 
pedition be  sent  forward  in  search  of  the  missing  ships.  Appeals  were 
also  made  to  Congress  by  the  Geographical  Society;  and  some  of  the 
more  prominent  universities  urged  immediate  attention,  as  delayed  expe- 
ditions would  be  very  likely  to  prove  of  no  value. 


CHAPTER    LXXXIV. 

JEANNETTE      RELIEF     EXPEDITIONS     IN      l88o THE      COR  WIN CAPT. 

HOOPER AT  OUNALASKA AN  IMPENETRABLE  WALI A  FRIGHT- 
FUL  SCENE  OF   DESOLATION A   SHIP  APPREHENDED THE    LOTILA 

A     WRECK THE      CORWIN      SIGHTS     WRANGELL     LAND  THE 

ENGLISH     RELIEF    YACHT     EIRA  FAILURE    OF    THE     EXPEDITION 

SECOND    AMERICAN    RELIEF    EXPEDITION,    THE     GULNARE AN 

• 

ADVERSE     REPORT REFITTED     AND     MANNED A     DISASTROUS 

DELAY FURTHER    HINDERED    BY  THE    ELEMENTS AN    ABORTIVE 

EFFORT. 

Early  in  April,  1880,  the  steam  revenue-cutter  Thomas  Corwin,  was 
ordered  from  Astoria,  Oregon,  into  dry-dock  at  San  Francisco  to  be  re- 
paired and  strengthened  before  setting  out  in  search  of  the  Jeannette  and 
the  missing  whalers.  She  was  sheathed  with  oak  plank  an  inch  thick,  and 
was  furnished  with  an  adjustable  ice-breaker  madp  of  boiler-iron.  A 
new  steam  windlass  was  put  in,  all  her  machinery  was  thoroughly 
overhauled  and  renewed.  The  Corwin  was  built  at  Albina,  Oregon,  in 
1876,  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven  tons  Custom  House  measurement, 
one  hundred  and  forty-five  feet  long,  twenty-four  feet  beam,  and  eleven 
feet  depth  of  hold.  She  was  constructed  entirely  of  Oregon  fir,  copper 
fastened,  and  unusually  strong.  Capt.  John  W.  White,  one  of  the  most 
experienced  officers  in  the  Marine  Revenue  cutter  service,  superintended 
her  construction,  and  for  once,  at  least,  the  government  got  the  vessel 
that  was  ordered,  without  "a  steal."  She  is  a  beautiful  craft,  and  with 
steam  up  she  glides  through  the  water  "like  a  thing  of  life."  Her  pro- 
pelling power  is  a  vertical  inverted  cylinder,  steam  jacketed,  thirty-four 
inches  square,  with  a  surface  condenser.  She  has  an  expanding  pitch 
propeller  ten  feet  in  diameter,  and  is  capable  of  making  eleven  knots  an 
hour  under  steam — -the  mean  pitch  of  the  propeller  being  sixteen  feet. 

774 


TfTE  CORWTN*.  775 

She  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Capt.  L.  C.  Hooper,  of  the 
United  States  navy,  a  man  of  large  experience  and  excellent  training  in 
his  profession,  and  in  the  prime  and  vigor  of  manhood,  being  not  quite 
forty  years  old.  Capt.  E.  H.  Smith,  long  familiar  with  Arctic  naviga- 
tion, took  service  as  ice  pilot;  and  the  ship's  company  comprised  thirty- 
eight  others,  officers  and  men — in  all  forty  persons.  She  was  provi- 
sioned for  twelve  months,  and  carried  one  hundred  tons  of  coal  in  her 
bunkers.  The  Alaska  Commercial  Company  furnished  letters  of  intro- 
duction to  their  agents  in  the  north,  commanding  them  to  render  all  pos- 
sible assistance  to  the  captain  of  the  Cor  win.  Capt.  Hooper's  instruc- 
tions included  attention  to  the  usual  revenue  service,  and  an  inquiry  into 
the  alleged  starving  condition  of  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Lawrence  Island, 
besides  making  such  observations  as  to  currents,  tides,  temperature,  and 
the  like,  as  circumstances  would  permit,  but  all  in  subordination  to  the 
main  purpose  of  the  expedition,  the  relief  of  the  Jeannette  and  the  miss- 
ing whalers.  On  the  eve  of  departure  Hooper  thus  sketched  his  inten- 
tions, which  were  substantially  in  accord  with  his  instructions: 

"I  will  seek  the  whalers   first.     If  I  find  them  I  can   give  them  two 

months'   rations  at  least;  if  they  have  sick  who  need  to  be  taken  out  of 

• 

the  Arctic  I  will  return  with  them  to  St.  Michael's;  load  uptigain  with 
coal,  all  we  can  .carry,  and  go  back  again  after  the  Jeannette.  If  Capt. 
DeLong  has  taken  to  land  I  will  follow  him,  and  I  think  I  can  stand  a 
few  hundred  miles  in  a  dog  sledge." 

Arrived  at  Ounalaska,  the  Corwin  shipped  seventy  tons  of  coal,  and 
left  on  the  8th  for  St.  Paul's  Islands.  Here  they  procured  sealskin  cloth- 
ing for  officers  and  men,  and  putting  the  ice-breaker  in  place,  started 
northward.  On  the  nth  they  first  encountered  the  ice,  at  60°  45' 
by  167°  50',  north  of  Nounivak  Island,  with  a  fresh  gale  blow- 
ing from  the  southwest.  Trying  in  vain  to  get  around  the  floe,  they 
entered  it  on  the  1 3th,  after  the  gale,  had  subsided.  Threading  their 
way  wherever  a  lead  appeared  in  the  ice  they  pushed  on  slowly  to 
the  north,  making  forty  miles  the  first  day,  and  twenty  on  the  sec- 
ond. On  the  1 5th  and  i6th  they  made  no  progress,  and  were  kept 
fully  occupied  in  saving  the  vessel  from  destruction  by  the  floe,  with 


776  A    NATIVE  MESSENGER. 

which  they  drifted  helplessly  hither  and  thither.  Under  a  fierce  north- 
east wind  and  snowstorm  on  the  iyth,  they  succeeded  in  anchoring 
in  the  shelter  of  Cape  Romanzoff,  and  rode  there  in  comparative  safe- 
ty until  the  morning  of  the  i8th,  when  the  wind  shifting  to  the  north- 
west, they  were  in  danger  of  being  driven  ashore  by  the  returning 
ice.  They  weighed  anchor  and  stood  out  to  meet  the  ice-pack  which 
presented  an  impenetrable  wall,  apparently  without  lead  or  opening  of 
any  kind.  Driven  back  by  this  formidable  mass,  the  Corwin  soon  found 
herself  well  in  shore  in  only  sixteen  feet  of  water,  where  they  had  the 
good  fortune  to  spy  a  lead  into  which  they  hurriedly  shot,  anchoring  to  a 
piece  of  ice  which  was  aground  in  over  thirty-two  feet  of  water,  and 
covered  about  four  acres.  When  the  gale  subsided  the  ice  began  to  drift 
away  from  shore,  giving  them  an  open  channel  to  Norton  Sound,  where 
they  anchored  on  the  I9th,  but  at  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles'  from  St. 
Michael's,  the  sound  being  filled  with  ice.  The  vessel  came  very  near 
losing  her  rudder  in  the  conflict  with  the  pack,  and  Capt.  Hooper  now 
devised  and  adjusted  a  contrivance  whereby  it  might  be  unshipped  in 
two  minutes.  The  ship  had  shown  good  power  of  resistance,  and  had 
come  out  of  the  ordeal  uninjured. 

They  were  soon  visited  by  a  native  messenger  dispatched  by  the 
agent  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  who  reported  that  the  win- 
ter of  1879-80  had  been  terribly  severe,  with  an  unusual  number  of 
heavy  snowstorms  and  high  winds;  and  that  the  ice  had  broken  up  un- 
usually late.  A  break  occurring  in  the  ice,  they  were  enabled  to  reach 
the  harbor  of  St.  Michael's  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  the  igth  of 
June.  In  compliance  with  that  part  of  his  instructions,  Capt.  Hooper, 
on  the  23d  of  June,  steered  across  Behring  Sea  to  St.  Lawrence  Island,  a 
little  over  midway  to  the  Asiatic  coast,  where  they  found  the  reports  of 
destitution  fully  and  fearfully  confirmed.  The  inhabitants  had  been  in  a 
starving  condition  for  two  years.  The  first  village  visited  was  entirely 
deserted.  The  second,  some  miles  distant,  presented  a  frightful  scene  of 
desolation.  Not  a  living  being  was  to  be  seen.  The  dead  lay  unburied 
on  the  hillsides  and  in  their  beds,  just  as  they  had  expired.  Further  west- 
ward, at  North  Cape,  a  similar  spectacle  was  witnessed.  At  first  it  was 


A  SH/P  APPREHENDED.  777 

thought  that  there  had  been  an  epidemic,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  there 
was  sheer  starvation,  from  which  from  two  hundred  to  five  hundred  per- 
sons died.  Happily  a  whale  was  caught,  and  the  lives  of  the  remnant  of 
the  settlement  were  preserved. 

Procuring  twenty-five  tons  of  coal  from  the  agents  of  the  Russian 
government  at  Plover  Bay,  Siberia,  Capt.  Hooper  proceeded  north, 
entering  the  Arctic  Ocean  on  the  28th  of  June.  Following  the  ice-pack 
around  from  Cape  Serdze  Kamen  on  the  Asiatic  side  to  Point  Hope  on 
the  American,  about  on  the  parallel  of  69°,  and  communicating  with  the 
natives  and  whalers  on  both  sides  of  Behring  Strait  and  within  the  Arc- 
tic Ocean,  they  failed  to  learn  anything  of  the  Jeannette,  the  Mount 
Wollaston,  or  Vigilant.  "  The  whalers,"  says  Hooper,  "  without  an  ex- 
ception, gave  it  as  their  opinion  that  nothing  will  ever  be  heard  of  them." 
They  also  reported  that  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  the  winter  of  1879-80  had 
been  very  mild,  judging  by  the  year's  ice  which  was  exceptionally  thin. 
This  showed  a  marked  difference  between  the  regions  north  and  south 
of  Behring's  Strait.  Between  Kotzebue  Sound  and  Cape  Prince  of 
Wales,  they  fell  in  with  the  trading  bark  Leo,  and  finding  her  in  posses- 
sion of  arms,  ammunition,  and  whiskey,  Capt.  Hooper  placed  her  in 
charge  of  Lieut.  W.  H.  Hand  on  the  4th  of  July,  with  orders  to  take 
her  to  San  Francisco  to  be  tried  for  violation  of  the  revenue  laws. 
Hooper  continued  his  voyage,  but  finding  it  impossible  to  penetrate  the 
pack  to  the  north  and  reach  a  harbor,  he  returned  to  St.  Michael's  on  the 
yth,  for  coal,  supplies,  and  light  repairs.  The  Corwin  again  pushed  north 
on  the  evening  of  the  roth,  keeping  to  the  American  shore  as  far  as  Cape 
Lisburne — 68°  56'  by  163°  34' — whence  they  proceeded  along  the  edge 
of  the  pack  to  the  northwest  toward  Plover  and  Herald  Islands,  reach- 
ing within  thirty  miles  of  the  latter.  Here  they  were  compelled  by  the 
ice  to  give  way  to  the  south,  as  far  as  69°  30',  whence  they  struck  south- 
east toward  Kotzebue  Sound.  Making  another  effort  to  reach  Herald 
Island,  they  steered  once  more  to  the  northwest,  and  arrived  within 
twenty  miles  of  land  on  the  4th  of  August. 

Steaming  south  to  the  Russian  port  on  Plover  Bay  for  a  fresh  supply 
of  coal,  the  Corwin  was  soon  headed  north  again  for  a  fourth  effort  to 


778  THE  LOT  I  LA. 

reach  Herald  Island.  Driving  her  ice-breaker  through  fifteen  miles  of 
drift  ice,  she  was  within  three  miles  of  land  on  the  2ist,  when  her  further 
progress  was  stopped  by  pack-ice,  piled  forty  feet  high  along  the  shore 
Unable  to  land,  they  closely  scrutinized  each  point  and  hill-top,  but  saw 
no  signal,  and  inferred  that  whatever  else  the  barren  wastes  might  con- 
tain, the  missing  navigators  were  not  to  be  found  there.  The  coast  line 
was  seven  to  eight  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  the  inland  hills  rose  to 
about  1500  feet.  On  the  23d  Capt.  Hooper  pushed  to  the  east  toward 
Point  Barrow,  and  thence  southwest  to  Cape  Lisburne.  Four  miles 
from  the  cape  Capt.  Smith,  the  ice  pilot  of  the  Corwin,  discovered  a  vein 
of  coal,  of  which,  when  tested  and  found  satisfactory,  a  supply  was  taken 
on  board,  affording  a  valuable  saving  of  time.  Going  to  and  from  coal- 
ing stations  had  hitherto  consumed  an  important  portion  of  the  short 
cruising  season;  and  the  discovery  of  this  vein  at  such  an  accessible  point 
of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  will  doubtless  prove  of  great  advantage  to  future 
explorers. 

On  the  2gth  of  August,  at  Point  Hope,  they  met  the  trading  schoon- 
er Lotila,  and  breech-loading  guns  being  found  aboard,  in  violation  of 
the  revenue  laws  of  the  United  States,  Capt.  Hooper  placed  her  in  charge 
of  Lieut.  John  Wyckoff,  to  be  taken  to  San  Francisco.  She  carried  the 
American  flag,  but  was  owned  in  Honolulu;  and  had  been  seized,  in  1879, 
for  carrying  whiskey. 

On  the  night  of  the  4th  of  September  the  Lotila,  during  thick,  foggy 
weather,  went  ashore  on  the  north  side  of  St.  Lawrence  Island,  about 
fifteen  miles  to  the  east  of  Cape  Chebkak.  What  provisions  in  casks 
could  be  thrown  overboard  having  been  washed  ashore  were  immediately 
seized  by  the  natives,  and  with  difficulty  the  officers  and  crew  could  get 
enough  to  provide  for  their  lengthy  stay  till  relief  might  come.  Lieut. 
Wyckoff  and  five  of  the  crew  volunteered  to  take  the  whale-boat  and 
make  for  Plover  Bay  to  get  assistance  from  any  passing  whaler.  They 
reached  there  on  the  14-th,  after  forty-eight  hours'  rowing,  bailing  most 
of  the  distance.  Capt.  Owen,  of  the  Mary  and  Helen,  took  them  on 
board  on  the  evening  of  the  lyth,  and  sailed  for  the  wreck.  The  Lieu- 
tenant says  the  confusion  and  uproar  on  the  beach  were  frightful  beyond 


TFTB  RELIEF   TACHT  EIRA.  779 

description.  All  the  natives  from  Sandspit  were  there,  and  had  taken 
possession  of  everything.  Capt.  Dexter,  of  the  wrecked  Lotila,  permit- 
ted them  to  do  so.  The  steamer  sent  three  boats  to  the  wreck  and  had 
hardly  time  to  get  their  clothing  and  what  could  be  taken  off  before  a 
fearful  gale  sprung  up,  that  threatened  to  engulf  everything.  The 
natives  got  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition;  the  Lieutenant  placed  the 
rifles  beyond  their  reach.  Capt.  Dexter,  two  mates  and  two  seamen  were 
placed  on  board  the  Julia  Long  bound  to  Honolulu.  Lieut.  WyckofF 
and  the  others  proceeded  to  San  Francisco. 

Meanwhile,  a  fifth  trip  to  the  northwest  was  undertaken  by  the  Cor- 
win,  but  her  progress  was  barred  at  a  distance  of  forty  miles  from  Herald 
Island.  On  the  i  ith  of  September  they  sighted  Wrangell  Land,  twenty- 
five  miles  distant,  and  so  surrounded  by  heavy  pack-ice,  with  new  ice 
rapidly  forming,  that  to  attempt  a  nearer  approach  was  to  endanger  the 
safety  of  the  vessel.  She  had  steamed  over  6,000  miles  within  the  Arc- 
tic Ocean  without  gaining  any  tidings  of  the  missing  vessels,  and  left  on 
the  1 3th  for  San  Francisco,  where  she  arrived  in  safety  on  the  141)1  of 
October.  The  ice  pilot  and  engineers  freely  affirmed  that  "  Capt.  Hooper 
made  the  Corwin  go  'for  all  she  was  worth.'  There  was  no  rest,  and 
she  had  traveled  over  every  inch  of  the  Arctic  Sea  between  Wrangell 
Land  and  Point  Barrow." 

ENGLISH     RELIEF    YACHT    EIRA. 

In  England,  also,  anxiety  for  the  welfare  of  the  members  of  the  Amer- 
ican Polar  Expedition  of  1879,  early  began  to  be  felt.  W.  Leigh  Smith 
a  gentleman  of  fortune  and  experience  in  Arctic  navigation,  left  Peter- 
head  on  the  I9th  of  June,  in  his  steam-yacht  Eira,  of  360  tons  burden,  to 
search  for,  and  if  it  might  be,  to  succor  the  Jeannette.  Mr.  Smith  had 
made  his  first  Arctic  voyage  in  1871,  in  his  yacht  Samson,  and  had  added 
some  valuable  contributions  to  the  stock  of  general  information  relating 
to  those  regions.  Again,  in  1872-3,  he  had  gone  in  the  Diana  on  a 
second  voyage  to  high  northern  latitudes,  but  the  results  were  not  as 
noteworthy  as  on  the  first  trip.  On  this  voyage  of  1880,  arriving  at 
Franz-Josef  Land,  he  concluded  that  it  was  either  one  of  an  extensive 


780  THE   GULNARE. 

group  of  islands  or  the  headland  of  a  continuous  stretch  of  land  extend- 
ing far  to  the  northwest.  He  also  discovered  in  the  portion  he  was  able 
to  explore  a  desirable  harbor,  which  is  likely  to  prove  of  great  benefit  to 
future  explorers  in  those  remote  regions.  The  eminent  German  geog- 
rapher, Dr.  Petermann,  had  broached  the  theory  that  an  archipelago 
would  be  found  to  surround  the  North  Pole,  and  Mr.  Smith's  impression 
of  Franz-Josef  Land  tended  measurably  to  confirm  that  opinion;  but  it 
is  almost  needless  to  repeat  that  theories  in  geography  have  proved  of 
little  value  in  the  history  of  mankind.  The  actual  has  ever  disproved 
the  theoretic;  and  nothing  can  be  regarded  of  value  that  has  not  been 
tested  by  actual  discovery.  In  this  work  the  reader  has  had  placed  before 
him  the  successive  stages  of  northern  exploration,  without  having  his 
attention  distracted  by  a  multitude  of  theories  which  might  or  might  not 
be  very  reliable.  Mr.  Smith  received  the  gold  medal  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society  in  appreciation  of  his  important  services;  but  as 
may  be  guessed,  his  course  was  far  away  from  the  scenes  of  the  Jtan- 
nette's  weary  warfare  'with  the  ice. 

A  second  American  relief-ship,  the  Gulnare,  sometimes  called  the 
Howgate  Expedition,  in  honor  of  Capt.  H.  W.  Howgate,  "  the  father  of 
the  enterprise,"  is  scarcely  worthy  of  mention,  so  abortive  did  it  prove. 
The  vessel  had  been  disapproved  by  two  boards  of  examiners,  but  the 
persistence  of  Howgate  succeeded  in  over-ridrng  all  opposition;  and  she 
left  for  the  north  on  June  22,  1880.  She  was  permitted  to  carry  the 
American  flag  by  a  strained  interpretation  of  the  Act  of  Congress 
authorizing  the  expedition.  She  returned  on  the  24th  of  October,  hav- 
ing achieved  the  barren  result  of  making  a  voyage  to  Disco  and  back. 


CHAPTER    LXXXV. 

THE  JE ANNETTE  IN  THE  EXTREMITY  OF  PERIL ANXIETY  ON  SHIP- 
BOARD  NEAR  WRANGELL  LAND CHIPP'S  SOUNDINGS EX- 
TRACTS FROM  THE  JEA-NNETTE'S  LOG — THE  ICE  BORED — A  PARTY 

OF    EXPLORERS DISCOVERIES A    THICK    FOG THE    LAST    ENTRY 

IN    THE    LOG. 

We  left  the  Jeannette  beset  in  the  ice  at  the  early  closing-in  of  the 
Arctic  winter  of  1880-1.  She  was  encircled,  as  stated,  by  ice  eight  feet 
thick,  besides  which  there  were  immense  masses  shoved  under  her  keel, 
and  her  bows  were  lifted  at  an  angle  of  about  one  degree,  while  she  was 
also  keeled  to  the  starboard  about  two  degrees.  She  was  so  firmly  held 
in  this  gigantic  vise  that  when  the  blacksmith  struck  his  anvil  in  the  fire- 
room  one  could  see  the  shrouds  and  stays  vibrate,  and  they  were  not  very 
taut.  The  executive  officer  had  slackened  up  the  rigging  during  the  first 
winter,  and  the  contraction  of  wire  rigging  by  the  intense  cold  was  of 
course  very  great.  The  ice  was  piled  up  under  the  main  chains,  and  as 
high  as  the  plank-sheer.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  ship  the  ice  was  tumbled 
about  in  the  greatest  confusion,  and  traveling  over  it  was  almost  an  im- 
possibility. In  the  month  of  September  the  ship  was  put  in  winter 
quarters  for  the  second  time.  She  was  banked  up  with  snow,  the 
deck  house  was  put  up  for  the  use  of  the  men,  and  the  awning  spread 
so  that  the  spar  deck  was  completely  housed  over.  Economy  and 
retrenchment  were  the  order  of  the  day  in  fuel,  provisions,  and 
clothing.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  when  the  cracks  froze  over, 
came  the  best  time  for  travel,  but  the  outlook  was  poor.  There  was 
comparatively  little  snow,  and  what  there  was  was  constantly  blown  by 
the  wind  and  rendered  salt  by  attrition  on  the  surface  of  the  ice,  so  that 
it  could  not  be  used  for  culinary  purposes.  The  captain  was  very  favor- 
able to  fall  traveling,  and  he  several  times  expressed  himself  to  the  effect 

781 


782 


CHIPP'S  SOUNDINGS. 


that  he  would  not  abandon  the  ship  while  there  was  a  pound  of  provi- 
sions left,  and  it  was  generally  understood  that  he  would  hold  on  a  year 
longer,  and  probably  start  when  the  fall  traveling  commenced,  a  year 
later.  It  was  considered  that  if  the  provisions  held  out  long  enough,  if 
they  were  not  attacked  by  scurvy,  and  if  the  ship  were  not  crushed  by  the 
ice,  she  would  eventually  drift  out  after  reaching  the  vicinity  of  Franz 
Josef  Land,  either  north  or  south  of  it.  The  morale  of  the  ship's  com- 
pany was  excellent,  yet  all  looked  anxiously  toward  the  long  night  of  the 
second  winter,  which  proved  to  be  the  most  fearful  part  of  their  experi- 
ence. The  anxiety  and  mental 
strain  were  the  greatest  at  that 
time.  They  were  so  completely  at 
the  mercy  of  the  ice  that  the  vessel 
might  be  crushed  at  any  moment 
by  the  thundering  agencies  that 
were  constantly  heard. 

The  old  winter  routine  of  meals, 
two  hours'  exercise,  and  so  on,  com- 
menced on  Nov.  i,  and  all  was 
going  well.  November  and  De- 
cember were  extremely  cold,  but 
there  were  no  severe  gales.  The 
meteorological  observations  were 
taken  every  hour  during  the  first 
year,  but  every  two  hours  only, 
during  the  second.  They  were  very  thorough,  and  Mr.  Collins  was 
very  watchful  to  add  something  to  the  science  to  which  he  was 
thoroughly  devoted.  During  the  illness  of  Danenhower,  from  weak 
eyes,  the  captain  and  Mr.  Chipp  took  the  astronomical  observations, 
but  each  officer  in  the  ship  had  a  round  of  duty  as  a  weather  ob- 
server, and  to  assist  Mr.  Collins.  There  was  a  quartermaster  on 
watch  all  the  time,  and  steam  was  kept  on  the  Baxter  boiler  for 
distilling  purposes.  To  save  coal  fires  were  put  out  in  the  galley  at  3 
p.  M.,  being  used  only  from  7  A.  M.  till  that  hour. 


LIEUT.    CHAS.    W.    CHIPP. 


D UNBAR  HOLE.  783 

The  month  of  January,  iSSi,  was  remarkable  for  its  changeable 
temperature,  and  as  being  warmer  than  the  two  previous  months. 
About  the  middle  of  the  month  the  wind  set  in  from  the  southeast, 
and  subsequently  to  that  time  the  drift  of  the  ship  was  uniformly  to  the 
northwest.  The  depth  of  the  water  began  to  increase  toward  the  north- 
west, but  would  always  decrease  toward  the  southeast  or  southwest,  as 
well  as  to  the  northeast.  The  vessel  seemed  to  drift  in  a  groove,  which 
they  called  Melville's  Canal,  as  he  was  the  first  to  call  attention  to  the 
fact.  Mr.  Chipp  took  the  soundings  every  morning,  and  by  long  expe- 
rience could  judge  of  the  drift  so  accurately  that  his  dead  reckoning  gen- 
erally tallied  with  the  observations.  He  adopted  a  scale  by  which  slow 
drift  meant  three  nautical  miles  per  day;  moderate,  six  miles;  rapid,  nine 
miles;  very  rapid,  twelve  miles.  He  always  reckoned  the  direction  and 
speed  of  the  drift,  and  "placed  the  ship  before  making  the  observation. 
His  judgment  was  excellent.  He  and  the  captain  made  frequent  lunar 
observations  for  chronometer  errors,  but  those  of  the  eclipses  of  Jupiter's 
satellites  were  the  best.  February  was  the  coldest  month;  and  the  mean 
for  the  three  months  was  only  six  degrees  lower  than  that  for  the  same 
months  during  the  previous  year.  The  soundings  generally  ran  thirty- 
three,  but  one  morning  Mr.  Dunbar  sounded  in  forty-four;  some  called 
that  place  Dunbar  Hole.  They  drifted  over  this  spot  once  again  at  a 
later  period.  The  absence  of  animal  life  prior  to  May  was  greater  than 
during  the  previous  year.  All  hands  hunted  every  day,  especially  as  the 
doctor  wanted  fresh  meat  for  the  Indian  Alexai,  who  began  to  have 
symptoms  of  the  scurvy,  and  suffered  very  greatly  from  abscesses  on  his 
leg.  They  killed  in  all  two  hundred  and  fifty  seals,  thirty  bears,  and  six 
walruses.  .On  May  i  Dr.  Ambler  reported  the  physical  condition  of  the 
crew  rapidly  deteriorating,  and  six  or  seven  were  placed  on  whiskey  and 
quinine  to  tone  them  up.  The  weather  at  this  time  was  good,  in  an 
Arctic  sense,  and  there  were  no  spring  gales. 

The  result  of  the  drift  for  the  first  five  months  was  forty  miles.  There 
was  a  cycloidal  movement  of  the  ice.  The  drift  during  the  last  six 
months  was  very  rapid.  The  soundings  were  pretty  even.  They  were 
eighteen  fathoms  near  Wrangell  Land,  which  was  often  visible  seventy- 


784  JEANNETTE  LOG. 

five  miles  distant.  The  greatest  depth  found  was  eighty  fathoms, 
and  the  average  thirty-five.  The  bottom  was  blue  mud.  Shrimps 
and  plenty  of  algological  specimens  were  brought  up  from  the  bot- 
tom. The  surface  water  had  a  temperature  of  20°  above  zero.  The 
extremes  of  the  temperature  of  the  air  were — greatest  cold,  58°  be- 
low zero,  and  greatest  heat  44°  above  zero.  The  first  winter  the 
mean  temperature  was  33°  below  zero.  The  second  winter  it  was 
39°  below  zero.  The  first  summer  the  mean  temperature  was  40° 
above  zero.  The  heaviest  gale  showed  a  velocity  of  about  fifty  miles 
an  hour.  Such  gales  were  not  frequent.  Barometric  and  thermomet- 
ric  fluctuations  were  not  great.  There  were  disturbances  of  the  nee- 
dle coincident  with  the  auroras.  The  winter's  growth  of  ice  was  eight 
feet.  The  heaviest  ice  seen  was  twenty-three  feet.  The  telephone  wires 
were  broken  by  movement  of  the  ice.  The  photographic  collection  was 
lost  with  the  ship.  Lieut.  Chipp's  2,000  auroral  observations  were  also 
lost.  The  naturalist's  notes  have  been  saved. 

During  the  month  of  May  the  ice  pilot  was  almost  constantly  in  the 
crow's-nest,  and  got  blind  several  times.  He  was  looking  out  for  land, 
and  was  the  first  to  announce  it  in  sight,  being  then  by  a  round  estimate 
about  five  hundred  mile,s  to  the  northwest  of  Herald  Island,  with  the 
ship  still  beset,  and  drifting  in  the  pack-ice. 

EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  LOG  OF  THE  JEANNETTE. 

Tuesday,  May  17,  1881. — Latitude  by  observation  at  noon,  north  76° 
43'  20";  longitude  by  chronometer  from  afternoon  observations,  east 
161°  53'  45" ;  sounded  in  forty-three  fathoms;  muddy  bottom;  a  slight 
drift  northwest  being  indicated  by  the  lead  line ;  weather  dull  and  gloomy 
in  the  forenoon;  close,  bright,  and  pleasant,  in  the  afternoon.  At  7 
p.  M.  land  was  sighted  from  aloft  by  William  Dunbar,  ice  pilot,  and 
bearing  south  78°  45'  west  (magnetic)  or  north  83°  15'  west  true.  It  ap- 
pears to  be  an  island;  but  owing  to  fog  hanging  partly  over  it  and  partly 
to  the  northward  of  it,  no  certainty  is  felt  that  this  is  all  of  it.  It  is  also 
visible  from  the  deck,  but  no  estimate  can  be  made  of  its  distance.  As 
no  such  land  is  laid  down  upon  any  chart  in  our  possession,  belief  that 


UO  It  ING   THE   ICE. 


785 


vve  have  made  a  discovery  is  permissible.  This  is  the  first  land  of  any 
kind  seen  by  the  ship  since  March  24,  1880,  at  which  date  we  saw  for 
the  last  time  the  north  side  of  "Wrangell  Land." 

Wednesday,  May  18,  1881. — Latitude  north  76°  43'  38",  longitude 
east  161°  42'  30".  The  land  sighted  yesterday  remains  visible  all  day, 
and  with  greater  clearness.  The  clouds  of  yesterday,  or  fog  bank,  as 
then  called,  having  disappeared  from  the  upper  part  of  the  island,  we  are 
able  to  see  apparent  rocky  cliffs  with  a  snow-covered  slope  extending 
back  to  the  westward  from  them,  and  terminating  in  a  conical  mass  like 

a  volcano  top. 

Thursday,  May  19,  1881. — Lat- 
itude 76°  44'  50"  north,  longitude 
161°  30'  45"  east."  Crew  engaged 
in  digging  down  through  the  ice  on 
the  port  side  of  the  stem  in  an  effort 
to  reach  the  forefoot.  The  ice  was 
first  bored  to  a  depth  of  ten  feet 
two  inches  without  getting  to  the 
bottom  of  it;  next  a  hole  was  dug 
four  feet  in  depth,  and  from  the 
bottom  of  this  hole  a  drilling  was 
made  to  the  depth  of  ten  feet  two 
inches,  still  not  reaching  the  bottom 
of  the  ice  at  fourteen  feet  two 
inches;  but  water  now  came  oozing 
in  to  fill  up  the  space  dug,  and  further  effort  was  not  made.  It 
is  fair  to  assume  that  the  thickness  is  of  more  than  one  floe,  and 
that  the  water  flows  in  between  the  blocks  as  they  lie  one  above  the 
other.  An  opening  occurred  in  the  ice  about  five  hundred  yards  to  the 
eastward  of  the  ship  and  partially  closed  at  10  P.  M.,  the  ship  receiving  sev- 
eral slight  shocks  as  the  edges  of  the  ice  came  together.  The  island  remains 
in  plain  view  all  day,  and  at  times  after  6  p.  M.  a  very  strong  appear- 
ance of  higher  land  beyond  and  to  the  westward  is  seen,  seemingly  con- 
nected by  a  snowy  slope  with  what  we  have  called  an  island. 
50 


WM.    M     DUNBAR. 


786  JEANNETTE  LOG. 

Friday,  May  20. — The  island  remains  in  plain  view  all  day,  though 
nothing  can  be  seen  of  the  high  land  beyond,  the  strong  appearance  of 
which  is  noted  in  yesterday's  log.  The  center  of  the  island  now  bears 
west  (true),  but  as  no  observations  could  be  obtained  to-day,  its  position 
and  distance  cannot  be  determined  by  the  change  of  bearing. 

Saturday,  May  21. — Latitude  north  76°  52'  22",  longitude  east  161° 
7'  45".  The  point  of  the  island  which  on  the  i6th  inst.  bore  north  83° 
15'  west  (true)  to-day  bears  south  78°  30'  west  (true),  from  which 
change  of  bearing  it  is  computed  that  the  island  is  now  twenty-four  and 
three-fifths  miles  distant.  The  position  of  the  observed  point  is  therefore 
latitude  76°  47'  28"  north,  longitude  159°  20'  45".  From  measure- 
ment made  by  a  sextant  it  is  found  that  the  island  as  seen  to-day  subtends 
an  angle  of  2°  10'. 

Wednesday,  May  25. — Latitude  north  77°  16'  3",  longitude  east  159° 
33'  30".  At  8  A.  M.  the  ice  was  found  to  have  opened  in  numerous 
long  lanes,  some  connected  and  some  single,  extending  generally  in 
north-northwest  and  south-southeast  direction.  By  making  occasional 
portages  boats  were  able  to  go  several  miles  from  the  vessel,  but  for  the 
ship  herself  there  were  no  ice  openings  of  sufficient  magnitude.  The 
strong  appearance  of  land  mentioned  on  the  I2th  inst.  proves  to  have 
been  land  in  fact,  and  for  the  reasons  similar  to  those  herein  set  forth  (in 
the  remarks  of  the  I7th  inst.)  it  may  be  recorded  as  another  discovery. 
The  second  land  is  an  island  of  which  the  position  and  present  distance 
are  yet  to  be  determined.  The  interval  between  the  two  islands  is 

49°  55'- 

Tuesday,  May  31. — No  observations.  Crew  engaged  in  digging  a 
trench  round  the  vessel,  and  after  4  p.  M.  in  getting  up  provisions,  etc., 
in  readiness  for  a  sledge  party  directed  to  leave  the  ship  to-morrow 
morning. 

Wednesday,  June  i. — No  observations.  At  9  A.  M.  a  party,  con- 
sisting of  Passed  Assistant  Engineer  G.  W.  Melville,  Mr.  William  Dun- 
bar,  W.  F.  C.  Ninderman  (seaman),  H.  H.  Ericksen  (seaman),  J.  H. 
Bartlett  (first  class  fireman),  and  Walter  Sharwell  (coal  heaver),  started 
to  make  an  attempt  to  land  upon  the  island  discovered  by  us  on  the  25th 


JEANMETTE  LOG.  757 

tilt,  and  which  bears  southwest  half-west  (true)  at  an  estimated  distance 
of  twelve  miles.  They  carried  with  them  the  light  dingy,  secured  upon 
a  sled  drawn  by  fifteen  dogs,  and  provisions  for  seven  days,  beside  knap- 
sacks and  sleeping  bags  and  arms.  All  hands  assembled  on  the  ice  to 
witness  the  departure,  and  cheers  were  exchanged  as  the  sled  moved  off. 
At  6  A.  M.  the  traveling  party  could  be  seen  from  aloft  at  about  five 
miles  distant  from  the  ship. 

Thursday,  June  2. — Latitude  77°  16'  14"  north.  During  the  fore- 
noon the  traveling  party  was  in  sight  from  aloft,  seemingly  more  than 
half  way  to  the  island. 

Saturday,  June  4. — Latitude  77°  12'  55'  north,  longitude  158°  n' 
45"  east.  From  the  cracked  appearance  of  the  ice  around  the  stern  it 
would  seem  that  the  ship  is  endeavoring  to  rise  from  her  ice  dock.  To 
facilitate  her  rising  and  to  relieve  the  strain  Upon  the  keel  under  the  pro- 
peller, the  men  were  engaged  forenoon  and  afternoon  in  digging  away 
the  ice  under  the  counters,  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  propeller  well. 
The  said  ice  is  of  a  flinty  hardness  and  clings  so  closely  to  the  ship  as  to 
show  the  grain  of  the  wood  and  to  tear  out  the  oakum,  visible  where  the 
ship's  rising  has  left  open  spaces.  Bearings  of  the  island  toward  which 
the  traveling  party  was  sent: — South  end  S.  52°  west  (true).  North 
end  S.  61°  west  (true). 

Sunday,  June  5. — No  observations.  At  1 1  A.  M.  started  a  fire  on 
the  ice  ahead  of  the  ship,  adding  tar  and  oakum  to  make  a  black  smoke 
as  a  signal  of  our  location  to  the  absent  traveling  party.  At  4  p.  M. 
the  weather  being  foggy,  fired  a  charge  from  the  brass  gun  and  one  from 
a.  whale  gun  as  a  similar  signal.  Carpenters  pushed  repairs  to  steam 
cutter. 

Monday,  June  6. — No  observations.  At  10  A.  M.  called  all  hands  to 
muster  and  read  the  act  for  the  government  of  the  navy.  The  com- 
manding officer  then  inspected  the  ship.  At  1 130  p.  M.  divine  services 
were  read  in  the  cabin.  At  6  A.  M.  sighted  the  traveling  party  making 
their  way  back  to  the  ship;  sent  the  starboard  watch  out  to  assist  them 
in.  At  9  A.  M.  the  sled  arrived  alongside,  drawn  by  the  dogs  and  ac- 
companied by  Ninderman,  Ericksen,  and  Bartlett.  Mr.  William  Dim- 


788  JEANNETTE  LOG. 

bar,  ice  pilot,  was  brought  in  by  this  party,  having  been  disabled  by  snow 
blindness.  At  twenty  minutes  of  10  A.  M.  Engineer  Melville  and  Wal- 
ter Sharwell,  co'al  heaver,  with  all  remaining  traveling  gear,  arrived  on 
board. 

The  party  landed  on  the  island  at  half-past  5  P.  M.,  on  Friday,  June 
3,  hoisted  our  national  ensign,  and  took  possession  of  our  discoveries  in 
the  name  of  the  United  States  of  America.  The  island  discovered  on 
May  17  has  been  named,  and  will  hereafter  be  known  as  Jeannette 
Island.  It  is  situated  in  latitude  76°  47'  north,  and  longitude  158°  56' 
east.  The  island  discovered  on  May  25  and  landed  upon  as  above  stated, 
has  been  named  and  will  hereafter  be  known  as  Henrietta  Island.  It  is 
situated  in  latitude  77°  8'  north,  and  longitude  157°  43'  east. 

Tuesday,  June  7,  1881. — Latitude  77°  n'  10"  north;  longitude,  no 
observations.  In  anticipation  of  our  floe  breaking  up  and  our  being 
launched  into  the  confusion  raging  about  us,  hoisted  the  steam  cutter, 
brought  aboard  the  kayaks  and  oomiaks  and  removed  from  the  ice  such 
of  our  belongings  as  could  not  be  secured  at  a  few  moments'  notice.  . 

Wednesday,  June  8. — No  observations.     So  thick  was  the  fog  until 

10  A.  M.  that  our  position  with  reference  to  Henrietta  Island  could  not  be 
determined,  but  at  that  hour  the  fog   cleared   away,   and   the   island   was 
sighted  right  ahead,  at  a  distance  of  about   four  miles.      As  indicated 
yesterday,  we  were  being  drifted  across  the  north  face.    The  large  open- 
ings near  us  have  closed  and  the   general    appearance  of  the  ice   to   the 
west  and  northwest  is  that  of  an  immense  field  broken  up  in  many  places 
by  the  large  piles  of  broken  floe  pieces,  but  with  no  water  spaces.     Con- 
siderable water  sky  is  visible  to  the  south  and  southwest,  and  several  un- 
connected lanes  of  water  are  to  be  seen  in   those  directions.     The  ice 
having  passed,  the  obstruction  caused  by  Henrietta  Island  has  closed  up 
again  and  resumed  its  accustomed  drift  to  the  northwest. 

Friday,  June  10. — -Latitude  77°  14'  20"  north,  longitude  156°  7'  30" 
east.  At  ii  P.  M.  the  ship  received  several  severe  jars.  At  half-past 

1 1  the  ice  eighty  yards  to  the  westward  opened  to  a  width  of  ten  feet, 
and  after  several  shocks  from  the  ice,  the  ship  was   found   to  have  risen 
an  inch  forward.     At  midnight  there  was  considerable  motion  to  our  sur- 


JEANNETTB  LOG.  7K) 

rounding  floe,  and  strong  indications  of  a  breaking  up  of  the   ice  along- 
side the  ship. 

Saturday,  June  11. — Latitude  77°  13'  45"  north,  longitude  155°  46' 
30"  east.  At  ten  minutes  past  12  A.  M.  the  ice  suddenly  opened 
alongside,  and  the  ship  righted  to  an  even  keel.  Called  all  hands  at  once 
and  brought  on  the  few  remaining  things  on  the  ice.  The  ship  settled 
down  to  her  proper  bearings  nearly,  the  draught  being  8  feet  1 1  inches 
forward,  and  12  feet  5  inches  aft.  A  large  block  of  ice  could  be  seen 
remaining  under  the  keel.  At  the  first  alarm  the  gate  in  the  water-tight 
bulkhead  forward  was  closed,  but  the  amount  of  water  coming  into  the 
ship  was  found  to  decrease — a  small  stream  trickling  aft  being  all  that 
could  be  seen.  There  being  many  large  spaces  of  water  near  us  and  the 
ice  having  a  generally  broken  up  appearance,  it  was  concluded  to  ship 
the  rudder  to  be  ready  for  an  emergency  involving  the  moving  of  the 
ship.  After  some  trouble  in  removing  accumulations  of  ice  around  the 
gudgeons  the  rudder  was  shipped,  and  everything  cleared  away  for 
making  sail.  As  well  as  could  be  judged  by  looking  down  through  the 
water  under  the  counters  there  was  no  injury  whatever  to  the  afterbody 
of  the  ship.  As  soon  as  possible  a  bow  line  and  a  quarter  line  had  been 
got  out  and  the  ship  secured  temporarily  to  the  ice,  which  remained  on 
the  starboard  side,  as  nearly  in  the  same  berth  as  she  could  be  placed. 
By  looking  down  through  the  water  alongside  the  stern  on  the  port  side 
one  of  the  iron  straps  near  her  forefoot  was  seen  to  be  sprung  off,  but 
otherwise  no  damage  could  be  detected.  It  was  assumed  by  me  that  the 
heavy  ice  which  all  along  bore  heavily  against  the  stern  had  held  the 
plank  ends  open  on  the  garboards,  and  that  as  soon  as  the  ship  was  able 
to  move  from  this  heavy  ice  the  wood  ends  came  together  again,  closing 
much  of  the  opening,  and  reducing  the  leak.  The  water  line  or  rather 
water  level  being  below  the  berth  deck  no  difficulty  was  anticipated  in 
keeping  the  ship  afloat,  and  navigating  her  to  some  port  should  she  ever 
be  liberated  from  the  pack-ice  of  the  Arctic  Ocean.  Sounded  in  thirty- 
three  fathoms,  bottom  mud,  rapid  drift  to  north-northwest.  This  is  the 
last  entry  in  the  log,  and  is  in  pencil,  and  with  the  rest  is  in  the  hand- 
writing of  De  Long. 


790 


JEANNETTE  LOG. 


The  ice  continued  in  motion,  but  no  serious  injury  occurred  to  the  ship 
until  the  morning  of  the  i2th,  when  the  ice  commenced  to  pack  together, 
bringing  a  tremendous  strain  on  the  ship,  heeling  her  over  to  starboard, 
and  forcing  the  deck  seams  open.  This  continued  during  the  day  at  in- 
tervals until  evening,  when  it  was  evident  the  ship  could  not  much  longer 
hold  together.  The  boats  were  lowered  on  the  ice,  and  provisions,  arms, 
tents,  alcohol,  sledges,  and  all  necessary  equipment  for  a  retreat,  securely 
placed  on  the  floe.  By  6  p.  M.  the  ship  had  entirely  filled  with  water 
and  lay  over  at  an  angle  of  about  twenty-two  degrees,  being  kept  from 
sinking  by  the  opposing  edges  of  the  floe.  On  the  morning  of  the  I3th 
of  June,  about  4  o'clock,  the  ice  opened  and  the  ship  went  down,  with 
colors  flying  at  the  masthead. 


CHAPTER  LXXXVI. 

SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  THE   CORWIN HER  OFFICERS  ENTER   THE 

ARCTIC  —  STRUGGLE  TO  REACH  WRANGELL  LAND  —  CRUISE  OF 

THE   RODGERS  COMMANDER   BERRY'S   LETTER  LANDS   ON 

HERALD  ISLAND BURNING  OF  THE  RODGERS THE  RODGERS 

PARTY  BOARD   THE   NORTH   STAR THE  EIRA   AGAIN THE 

ALLIANCE. 

On  the  2d  of  May,  1881,  Capt.  Hooper  received  final  instructions  for 
kis  second  voyage,  and  only  awaited  some  additional  stores,  including 
a  large  supply  ofpemmican,  which  was  delayed  in  transmission  from  the 
east.  These  having  arrived  on  the  4th,  the  Corwin  steamed  out  of  the 
Golden  Gate  on  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  amid  the  tumultuous  applause 
and  enthusiastic  cheers  of  the  spectators,  conveyed  to  sea  by  the  revenue 
cutters  Rush  and  Hartley. 

The  following  were  the  officers  of  the  Corwin:  C.  L.  Hooper,  cap- 
tain; W.  J.  Herring,  first  lieutenant;  E.  Burke,  second  lieutenant;  O.  B. 
Myrick,  Geo.  H.  Doty  and  Wm.  E.  Reynolds,  third  lieutenants;  Jas.  T. 
Wayson,  Chas.  A.  Laws  and  Fred.  E.  Owen,  engineer  and  assistants; 
and  I.  C.  Rosse,  surgeon.  The  crew  consisted  of  thirty  picked  men,  in- 
cluding an  experienced  coal  miner,  whose  services  were  to  be  utilized  in 
making  available  the  coal  mine  discovered  in  1880,  near  Cape  Lisburne. 
After  parting  company  with  the  Rush  and  Hartley,  the  Corwin  headed 
north  and  west  for  the  Aleutian  Islands.  The  weather  for  the  first 
eight  days  was  delightful ;  but  this  auspicious  opening  of  the  voyage  was 
soon  followed  by  high  winds  and  hail  and  snowstorms.  As  they  neared 
Ounalaska  a  very  heavy  sea  was  encountered,  owing  in  part  to  the  high 
tides  which  occur  there  at  that  season  of  the  year.  At  Ounalaska  they 
were  received  with  great  cordiality,  and  took  on  board  a  good  supply 
of  coal,  one  year's  extra  provisions,  and  the  customary  fur  clothing  for 

officers  and  men. 

791 


792  REPORT  OF  TCHUKTCHIS. 

Reaching  St.  Lawrence  Island  on  May  28,  they  pushed  on  to  the 
north,  and  entered  the  Arctic  Ocean  on  May  30.  In  latitude  68°  10' 
north,  by  longitude  173°  48'  west,  north  of  Kolyutchin  Island,  the  Cor- 
win  had  her  rudder  badly  shattered  by  the  ice,  and  for  several  days, 
while  it  was  being  repaired,  she  was  steered  by  means  of  a  jury  rudder. 
Lieuts.  Herring  and  Reynolds,  with  one  seaman  and  two  natives,  were 
landed  on  the  Siberian  coast,  with  instructions  to  explore  the  shore  as  far 
as  Cape  Yakan,  nearly  eight  degrees  to  the  west,  and  one  and  one-half 
to  the  north,  a  journey  of  about  300  miles,  and  with  the  necessary  wind- 
ings and  doublings,  likely  to  prove  considerably  longer.  They  were  pro- 
vided with  four  sledges  and  twenty-five  dogs,  a  tent,  a  skin  boat,  plenty 
of  fur  clothing  for  night  and  day,  and  sixty  days'  food  for  men  and  dogs. 
With  high  hopes  and  great  courage  they  proceeded  on  their  melancholy 
pilgrimage,  while  the  Corwin  returned,  through  much  tribulation,  June 
15,  to  Plover  Bay,  on  the  east  coast  of  Siberia.  Here  Capt.  Hooper  got 
the  first  tidings  of  the  missing  whalers.  The  captain  ^»f  the  bark  Tom 
Pope  reported  that  some  Tchuktchis  had  boarded  the  Vigilant  at  Cape 
North,  or  Irkaipie,  about  longitude  180°,  and  found  the  dead  bodies  of 
her  crew,  and  vessel  stove  in  and  full  of  water;  and  that  the  Mount  Wol- 
laston  was  found  in  a  similar  condition  eighty  miles  further  to  the  north- 
west. On  the  wreck  of  the  Vigilant  were  found  a  telescope,  a  bomb- 
gun  and  some  lines.  This  would  be  on  Lieut.  Herring's  route,  and  con- 
firmation might  be  expected  from  that  quarter. 

Accordingly,  his  party  had  no  sooner  reached  the  mouth  of  Wan- 
karem  River,  about  forty  miles  to  the  west  of  where  they  parted*  com- 
pany with  the  Corwin,  than  they  fell  in  with  a  party  of  Tchuktchis,  in 
whose  possession  were  found  a  number  of  articles  taken  from  the  -wreck. 
From  what  could  be  learned  it  was  thought  probable  the  vessel  had  been 
wrecked  in  1879.  Herring's  party  finding  it  impossible  to  proceed  farth- 
er to  the  northwest,  retraced  their  course  and  pushed  east  100  miles  to 
Cape  Serdze  Kamen,  having  made  a  sledge-journey  of  140  miles. 
Meanwhile,  the  Corwin  had  returned  from  her  coaling  trip  to  the  south, 
with  a  rudder  taken  from  the  wreck  of  the  Lotila,  and  picked  them  up 
on  the  29th  of  June, 


THE  COR  WIN  IN  DANGER.  793 

The  Corwin  continued  her  cruise,  making  corrections,  verifications 
and  additions,  of  more  or  less  value  to  the  discoveries  and  surveys  of 
previous  navigators,  as  found  in  the  charts  of  the  Navy  Department ;  and 
on  the  i  yth  of  August  was  at  Point  Barrow. 

The  struggle  to  reach  Wrangell  Land  was,  it  appears,  very  far  from 
being  a  holiday  task.  It  involved  a  twelve  days'  conflict  with  the  ice 
king,  and  every  foot  of  the  approach  had  to  be  won  from  the  long  array 
of  packs,  floes,  and  detached  masses  of  ice.  The  Corwin  stood  bravely 
to  the  task,  like  a  thing  of  life  struggling  for  a  mastery  that  she  seemed 
conscious  of  being  hard  to  win.  At  one  moment  threatened  with  de- 
struction, then  rising  again  with  almost  the  human  determination  of  the 
minds  in  charge,  she  made  another  brave  effort;  and  so  worked  forward 
by  repeated  assaults  into  open  water  within  half  a  mile  of  land.  A  land- 
ing party  under  command  of  Lieut.  Reynolds  now  took  formal  posses- 
sion, planting  the  flagstaff  in  a  high  cleft,  and  depositing  at  its  foot  a  bot- 
tle containing  the  record  of  the  event,  and  a  tin  tube  containing  a  copy 
of  the  New  York  Herald  of  March  22,  iSSi.  The  river  at  which  they 
landed  Capt.  Hooper  named  Clark  River,  in  honor  of  Maj.  E.  W. 
Clark,  chief  of  the  Revenue  Marine  Bureau,  who  had  evinced  an  active 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  expedition.  The  flag  was  saluted  by  the 
cannon  of  the  Corwin,  and  by  three  hearty  cheers  from  her  company, 
with  answering  shouts  from  the  party  on  land.  They  sought  in  vain 
for  traces  of  the  Jeannette,  and  left  for  Herald  Island,  which,  however, 
they  were  unable  to  reach,  because  of  the  blockading  ice.  The  Corwin 
pushed  to  the  east,  as  stated  in  Capt.  Hooper's  report,  to  the  relief  of  the 
Webster,  wrecked  on  July  3.  After  coaling  in  Plover  Bay  on  the  24th, 
another  effort  was  made  to  reach  Wrangell  Land  before  the  end  of  the 
month,  but  they  were  prevented  by  storms  of  wind  and  snow  from  get- 
ting nearer  than  twenty  miles.  During  the  first  week  of  September 
they  encountered  a  furious  gale,  a  cold,  northerly  blast,  piercing  in  its 
intensity,  and  by  its  violence  threatening  the  very  existence  of  the  Cpr- 
win.  The  ice-breaker  became  unmanageable,  and  was  cast  aside;  and 
the  rudder  was  but  a  frail,  patched-up  substitute  for  her  own,  as  previ- 
ously related,  and  of  course  not  to  be  relied  on  in  so  dangerous  an  emer- 


794  THE  MART  AND  HELEN. 

gency.  Most  of  the  ship's  oak-sheathing  had  been  torn  away  by  the 
jagged  ice,  and  taken  altogether,  she  was  fortunate  in  being  able  to  get 
away  without  serious  disaster.  Having  on  board  nine  shipwrecked 
whalemen  from  the  Webster,  already  referred  to,  and  with  his  own  ship 
somewhat  crippled,  Capt.  Hooper  determined  to  return.  Through 
masses  of  pack-ice,  which  threatened  to  be  soon  welded  together  by  the 
new  ice,  with  good  seamanship,  constant  soundings,  occasional  anchor- 
age to  ice-masses,  and  unremitting  watchfulness,  they  reached  Kotzebue 
Sound,  where  they  got  the  first  glimpse  of  the  sun  they  had  seen  in 
twelve  days.  Leaving  the  sound  and  proceeding  through  Behring's 
Strait,  she  encountered  extremely  rough  weather,  and  arrived  in  safety 
at  San  Francisco  about  midnight  of  Oct.  20,  1881. 

The  steam-whaler  Mary  and  Helen  had  been  bought  of  her  owners 
for  $100,000,  which,  with  $75,000  more,  had  been  appropriated  by  Con- 
gress to  the  purchase  and  outfit  of  a  Jeannette  relief  expedition.  She  was 
dry-docked  on  the  23d  of  April,  1881,  at  Mare  Island  to  receive  some  in- 
ternal strengthening  and  an  outer  sheathing  of  oak  plank,  nearly  four 
inches  thick.  She  was  carefully  inspected  by  the  naval  authorities,  and 
pronounced  well  adapted  for  the  undertaking.  Public  opinion  declared 
her  to  be  "strong  in  every  part,  of  about  four  hundred  tons'  burden,  able 
to  rest  upon  her  center,  and  be  lifted  fore  and  aft,  without  strain,  and 
would  present  the  greatest  resistance  to  ice-pressure  that  could  be  found 
in  any  vessel  on  the  Pacific  coast."  She  was  renamed  in  honor  of  Ad- 
miral Rodgers,  and  was  intrusted  to  the  following  officers  of  the  navy: 
Lieut.  Robert  M.  Berry,  commander;  Master  H.  S.  Waring,  executive 
officer  and  navigator;  Master  Charles  F.  Putnam,  H.  J.  Hunt,  and  G.  M. 
Storey,  ensigns;  A.  V.  Gano,  assistant  engineer;  and  W.  H.  Gilder,  who 
had  been  with  Schwatka,  pay-clerk.  Passed-Assistant  Surgeon  D.  M. 
Jones  and  Assistant  Surgeon  J.  D.  Costello,  were  the  medical  staff;  and 
the  crew  consisted  of  twenty-seven  picked  volunteers  from  the  navy  yards 
of  the  United  States,  who  were  all  fully  up  to  the  requirements  of  the 
Jeannette  relief  board. 

On  the  1 6th  of  June,  at  fifteen  minutes  past  3,  the  Rodgers  got 
under  way,  going  out  slowly,  and  passed  away  from  the  Golden  Gate. 


BERRT'S  LETTER.  795 

All  the  officers  and  crew  left  in  excellent  spirits,  a  band  of  intrepid 
men,  working  together  in  perfect  harmony,  all  anxious  for  the  success 
of  the  expedition,,  and  fully  determined  to  achieve  it.  Lieut.  Berry 
said  in  parting,  "  I  shall  do  all  in  my  power  to  render  the  expedition 
a  success,  and  shall  thoroughly  explore  Wrangell  Land.  If  De  Long 
needs  help  I  shall  spare  no  effort  to  render  him  all  I  can.  I  feel 
that  the  nation  and  the  scientific  critics  of  the  world  are  watchin°- 

O 

our  movements  with  deep  interest,  and  we  shall  try  to  make  a  record 
worthy  of  the  nation  whose  flag  we  bear." 

Commander  Berry  wrote  from  Petropaulovski,  July  24,  iSSi : 

"The  Arctic  search  steamer  Rodgers  arrived  here  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  1 9th  inst.,  after  a  stormy  passage.  All  on  board  are  well.  The  ves- 
sel showed  fine  sailing  qualities,  and  steamed  to  better  advantage  than 
was  anticipated,  developing  five  knots  an  hour  without  the  assistance  of 
sails.  There  were  only  about  five  days  fine  weather  during  the  trip,  yet 
we  reached  our  destination  in  less  than  an  average  passage  of  sailing 
vessels. 

"  We  found  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company's  steamer  Alexander, 
Capt.  Sandman,  in  port.  Also  the  Russian  steam  corvette  Sterlock, 
Commander  Deliveron,  who  stated  that  he  had  received  orders  from  his 
government  to  aid  the  Rodgers  as  much  as  possible,  also  to  enter  Beh- 
ring's  Strait  and  the  Arctic  seas  in  summer,  and  search  for  the  Jean- 
nette.  He  tendered  us  as  much  as  we  desired  of  five  hundred  tons  of 
coal  now  in  Plover  Bay,  and  said  he  would  meet  us  at  Serdze  Kamen 
and  send  a  dispatch  to  the  United  States  from  the  nearest  telegraph  sta- 
tion in  Asia  in  the  latter  part  of  September.  We  have  secured 
forty-seven  fine  dogs,  and  a  large  quantity  of  fur-clothing,  probably- suffi- 
cient for  the  entire  cruise.  The  Rodgers  sails  to-day  via  St.  Michael's, 
Plover  Bay  and  St.  Lawrence  Island  for  Serdze  Kamen,  Herald  Island 
and  Wrangell  Land,  where  we  expect  to  arrive  toward  the  last  of 
August." 

The  Rodgers,  after  leaving  St.  Lawrence  Bay  and  passing  through 
Behring's  Strait,  effected  a  landing  on  Herald  Island  on  Aug.  24.  No 
traces  of  the  Jeannette  were  seen  at  the  northwestern  extremity  of  the 


796  NO   TRACE   OF  THE  JE ANNETTE. 

island,  and  the  Rodgers  left  its  own  record  of  visitation  on  the  crest  of 
the  cliff.  The  next  day  the  Rodgers  steamed  for  Wrangell  Land,  and 
after  passing  through  a  dozen  miles  of  loose  ice,  effected  a  landing  on  its 
southern  side.  In  the  evening  of  the  next  day  they  entered  a  fine 
harbor  where  the  vessel  could  remain  with  safety,  while  expeditions 
were  sent  off  to  explore  the  interior  and  the  eastern  and  western 
coasts  to  look  for  cairns  or  traces  of  the  Jeannette.  Capt.  Berry 
commanded  the  land  party,  accompanied  by  Dr.  M.  D.  Jones  and 
four  men.  They  reached  a  mountain  2,500  feet  high,  from  which 
they  saw  open  water  around  the  island  everywhere,  except  between 
the  west  and  southwest,  where  a  high  range  of  mountains  seemed 
to  terminate  the  land.  Master  S.  H.  Waring  went  around  the  eastern 
coast  and  northern  side,  until  blocked  by  ice,  which  was  packed  in  by 
the  northerly  wind.  He  had  to  abandon  his  boat  and  make  his  way 
overland  to  the  ship.  Ensign  Hunt  went  by  the  western  coast  and 
reached  the  ice  that  blocked  Waring,  finding  it  impossible  to  penetrate 
it.  He  had  passed  most  of  the  northern  point  of  the  island  and  could  see 
Waring's  position,  so  that  the  entire  island  has  been  skirted,  and  its  insu- 
lar character  fully  established.  Though  the  ship  could  not  possibly  sail 
or  steam  around  Wrangell  Land,  her  commander  proved,  by  his  officers 
in  boats,  that  it  is  an  island,  and  inferentially  that  the  Jeannette  had  an 
opportunity  of  going  northwest  toward  the  Pole,  and  that  the  chances  of 
De  Long's  success  and  of  his  returning  in  safety,  freighted  with  invalua- 
ble information,  were  brighter  than  ever. 

No  traces  of  the  Jeannette  were  found,  nor  any  traces  that  any  nu- 
man  being  had  ever  been  there,  except  the  record  left  by  the  Corwin  on 
Aug..  12.  The  harbor  where  the  Rodgers  last  anchored  for  this  land 
exploration  was  in  longitude  178°  10'  west,  latitude  70°  57'  north,  south 
and  west  of  Hooper's  Landing,  at  Clark  River.  Ensign  Hunt's  party 
were  provided  with  fifteen  days'  provisions  and  instructed  to  encircle  the 
island,  if  possible,  for  he  felt  pretty  certain  of  its  insnlar  character,  since 
making  our  observations  from  Herald  Island  of  the  variable  change 
of  currents  and  ice,  which  shows  this  to  be  a  remarkable  season  in 
the  Arctic. 


BURNING   OF  THE  RODGERS.  797 

The  detailed  narrative,  or  log,  of  the  cruise  of  the  Rodders  registers 

O  O 

the  efforts  of  her  officers  and  crew  to  make  in  boats  an  unbroken  tour 
around  what  may  now  be  properly  termed  Wrangell  Island,  as  in  every 
sense  highly  creditable  to  this  relief  ship  expedition.  There  was  no  pro- 
longed  suffering.  There  was  little  cold  and  hunger,  but  the  pluck  of  the 
officers  and  men  on  the  entire  voyage  will  doubtless  be  read  with  admi- 
ration by  Americans  everywhere.  On  Sept.  19  the  Rodgers  reached 
latitude  73°  44'  north,  the  highest  point  attained  by  an  exploring  vessel  in 
those  seas.  Observations  with  the  deep  sea  lead,  which  were  made  hourly 
after  entering  this  sea,  seemed  to  indicate  a  receding  from  rather  than  an 
approach  to  land  as  they  went  north.  The  water  continually  deepened  as 
they  advanced,  until  at  the  highest  point  73°  44'  north  latitude,  1^1°  48' 
west  longitude,  it  was  found  to  be  eighty-two  fathoms.  The  character 
of  the  bottom  was  very  irregular — sometimes  hard,  at  others  black  sand, 
and  in  many  places  blue  mud,  which  was  at  the  deepest  soundings. 

^  Lieut.  Berry  reported  that  he  had  found  no  traces  of  the  Jeannette's 
people  on  Herald  Island ;  that  he  had  tried  in  vain  to  find  suitable  winter 
quarters  on  the  Siberian  coast;  had  erected  a  depot  on  an  island  twenty 
miles  west  of  Serdze  Kamen,  which  he  had  put  in  charge  of  Master 
Putnam,  with  Dr.  Jones,  Mr.  Gilder  and  three  others,  and  arrived  with 
the  Rodgers,  on  Oct.  15,  in  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  where  she  was  to  winter. 
Lieut.  Berry,  accompanied  by  Ensign  Hunt,  left  the  Rodgers  on  the 
23d  of  December,  to  sledge  the  Siberian  coast  in  quest  of  possible  news 
of  the  Jeannette  in  that  quarter.  Master  Waring  was  left  in  command 
of  the  vessel  in  St.  Lawrence  Bay.  The  next  heard  of  her  was  through 
a  telegram  sent  from  the  interior  of  Siberia  by  Mr.  Gilder,  of  the  ship's 
company,  who  had  made  his  way  from  the  Tchuktchi  village  of  Tiapka, 
about  midway  between  Nordenskiold's  winter  haven  and  Cape  Serdze 
Kamen  to  Werchoyansk  on  the  Yana,  in  about  latitude  68°  by  longitude 
134°  east,  where  he  arrived  on  the  28th  of  March.  The  startling  intel- 
ligence was  that  "the  steamer  Rodgers  was  burned  on  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1882;  Master  Waring  and  the  crew  are  at  Tiapka,  where  they  get 
food  enough  from  the  Tchuktchis.  The  ispravnik  (Russian  local  gov- 
ernor) of  the  Kolymsk  district  had  sent  tobacco  and  tea  to  them  for  pur- 


798 


THE   CORWIN  ORDERED  FORWARD.  709 

poses  of  barter  with  the  natives.  They  needed  nothing  else.  Three- 
months'  provisions  were  saved  from  the  ship.  Tiapka  is  near  Cape 
Serdze  Kamen." 

Mr.  Gilder,  with  commendable  energy,  had  made  a  long  and  weari- 
some journey  to  bear  this  news  to  the  confines  of  civilization.  He  ar- 
rived at  Sredni,  that  is,  Middle,  Kolymsk,  on  the  Kolyma,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth,  early  in  March.  The 
way  from  Tiapka  is  well  known  to  the  natives,  being  their  regular  trad- 
ing or  caravan  route,  but  was  none  the  less  arduous  and  dangerous  in  mid- 
winter, a  season  of  the  year  when  even  the  hardy  natives  seldom  tra- 
verse it.  Having  arrived  at  Kolymsk,  the  ispravnik  accompanied  him  to 
the  southwest;  and  the  news  of  the  disaster  soon  flashed  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth.  The  following  details  were  afterward  ascertained  : 

On  the  22d  of  April  the  Corwin  had  been  ordered  forward  to  St. 
Lawrence  Bay  to  the  rescue  of  the  crew  of  the  Rodgers,  and  had  reached 
the  ground  soon  after  they  got  safely  aboard  the  North  Star. 

Master  Waring  intrusted  to  the  natives  at  Plover  and  Marcus  Bays, 
letters  to  be  delivered  to  any  whaling  vessels  which  might  visit  these  places, 
informing  them  of  the  condition  of  the  shipwrecked  crew.  Capt.  Owens, 
of  the  steam  whaler  North  Star,  of  New  Bedford,  got  one  of  these  let- 
ters, and  forced  his  ship  through  ice  opposite  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  reaching 
there  on  May  8.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  I4th  the  Rodgers  party  safely 
boarded  the  North  Star.  Before  leaving,  Mr.  Waring  issued  to  the  na- 
tives all  the  unexpended  trade  goods,  provisions,  rifles,  ammunition  and 
boots  as  recompense  for  their  kind  treatment,  and  the  recompense  was 
eminently  satisfactory  to  these  harmless  creatures,  so  that  should  a  party 
'of  wrecked  mariners  ever  again  be  cast  away  sn  that  vicinity,  they  can 
rest  assured  of  a  good  reception.  The  officials  and  men  all  unite  in 
speaking  of  the  generosity  and  trouble  taken  by  Capt.  Owens  in  effect- 
ing their  rescue.  Previous  to  their  being  transferred  to  the  Corwin  he 
offered  to  land  them  either  at  Fort  St.  Michael's,  Alaska,  or  San 
Francisco.  On  the  night  of  the  I4th  the  Corwin  put  in  an  appearance, 
and  all  hands  were  immediately  transferred  to  her  and  taken  to  Sitka, 
where  they  arrived  on  the  3d  of  June,  and  thence  to  San  Francisco. 


800  VARIOUS  PLANS   OF  RELIEF.    , 

THE  EZRA  AGAIN  TO  THE  RESCUE. 

On  the  1 3th  of  June,  1881,  W.  Leigh  Smith  set  out  again  for  the 
north  in  his  steam  yacht  Eira,  in  the  hope  of  being  of  service  to  the  Jean- 
nette.  He  was  accompanied  by  Dr.  Neale,  Capt.  Lofley  and  a  crew  of 
twenty-two  men,  the  vessel  being  fully  provisioned  for  fourteen  months, 
with  a  flour  and  bread  supply  for  two  years.  On  the  I3th  of  July  they 
were  steaming  through  pack-ice,  and  on  the  2^d  sighted  Franz-Josef 
Land.  Proceeding  toward  Cape  Ludlow,  close  to  the  pack  to  the  north- 
ward, they  entered  Nightingale  Sound  on  the  2d  of  August,  and  arriving 
at  Eira  Harbor,  erected  a  storehouse.  On  the  i6th  they  proceeded  east- 
ward in  search  of  the  Jeannette,  but  were  unable  to  pass  Barenz  Hook 
because  of  the  ice  in  that  quarter.  On  the  2is.t  the  Eira  got  nipped  be- 
tween a  land-floe  and  pack-ice,  a  mile  to  the  east  of  Cape  Flora,  and  the 
leak  gained  so  rapidly  that  in  two  hours  after  it  had  been  discovered  it 
was  necessary  to  abandon  the  ship.  Hardly  had  the  -last  man  left  her 
when  the  ice  eased,  and  she  sank  quickly,  before  they  were  able  to  save 
much  of  their  stores.  All  the  boats  were  saved;  and  most  of  the  men 
saved  some  clothing  and  bedding.  A  tent  was  at  once  erected  on  the 
ice,  and  for  sixteen  nights  they  slept  in  it,  and  were  at  times  almost  floated 
out  by  rain.  Meanwhile,  they  constructed  a  hut  of  stone  and  turf  at  the 
Cape  and  covered  it  with  sails.  Here  they  wintered  in  safety  from  Sep- 
tember 7,  1881,  to  June  21, 1882,  and  during  the  whole  period  were 
happily  free  from  scurvy,  having  plenty  of  fresh  meat.  Thirty-six  bears 
and  twenty-nine  walruses  were  killed  and  eaten.  On  June  21,  1882,  they 
left  Cape  Flora  in  four  boats,  and  sailed  eighty  miles  without  seeing  any 
ice,  but  soon  had  enough  of  it,  arriving,  however,  in  safety,  at  Nova 
Zembla  on  the  2d  of  August. 

Meanwhile,  the  steam-whaler,  Hope,  under  Sir  Allen  Young,  was 
dispatched  from  England  in  June,  1882,  to  the  rescue  of  the  Eira,  the  ex- 
pense being  defrayed  by  the  family  of  the  missing  navigator,  with  contri- 
butions of  $5,000  from  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  and  $25,000 
from  the  Government.  Sir  Henry  Gore  Booth  and  W.  G.  A.  Grant,  the 
amateur  Arctic  photographer,  who  had  accompanied  Mr.  Smith  in  his 


STATIONS  FOR   OBSERVATIONS. 


833 


POLAR  SCIENTIFIC  COLONIES. 

The  chain  of  international  scientific  stations  around  the  Polar  Basin, 
suggested  a  few  years  ago,  was  completed  in  the  summer  of  1882.  The 
observations  were  to  commence  on- the  ist  of  August,  1882,  and  to  close 
on  the  ist  of  September,  1883.  They  were  to  be  taken  hourly  each  day; 
and  were  to  comprise  meteorology,  astronomy,  terrestrial  magnetism  and 
auroral  displays,  together  with  some  optical  investigations.  The  instru- 
mental equipments  of  the  several  corps  of  observation,  as  well  as  the 


COMMANDER   CHEYNE*S  PLAN   FOR    REACHING  THE   POLE. 

abilities  of  the  practical  scientists  comprising  them,  insure  as  tnorough 
work  as  will  be  found  practicable  in  those  high  latitudes.  They  are  dis- 
tributed as  follows: 

The  United  States  has  two, both  established  in  August,  i88i,to  afford 
ample  time  for  preliminary  observations  and  partial  acclimation  before 
commencing  the  preconcerted  work  nearly  a  year  later.  One  is  at  Lady 
Franklin  Bay,  under  Lieut.  A.  W.  Greeley,  fully  provisioned  for  two 
years,  and  consists  of  four  officers,  besides  the  commander,  and  nineteen 
men  of  the  United  States  Signal  Service  Corps,  and  one  newspaper  cor- 


834  THE  EUROPEAN  STATIONS, 

respondent.  Trie  steam-whaler  Neptune  attempted  to  carry  forward  a 
relief  party  and  additional  stores,  leaving  New  York  July  8,  1882,  but 
was  stopped  by  pack-ice  in  latitude  79°  20',  or  about  160  miles  short  of 
her  destination.  She,  however,  established  supply  depots  for  the  use  of 
the  colony  on  their  return.  The  other  American  colony  is  at  Point  Bar- 
row, under  Lieut.  Ray,  with  a  similar  corps  of  assistants,  and  similarly 
supplied.  England  and  Canada  have  one  colony  at  Fort  Simpson,  inter- 
mediate between  the  two  of  the  United  States;  and  Denmark  has  one 
on  the  west  coast  of  Greenland,  the  four  covering  about  100  degrees  of 
longitude,  and  the  American  division  of  this  circumpolar  cordon  of  sci- 
entific stations.  Denmark  has  also  a  Polar  expedition  out  in  the  Dy  mpna, 
under  Lieut.  Hovgaard,  a  volunteer  subordinate  of  Nordenskiold,  in  the 
Vega,  in  iSjS-g. 

Austria-Hungary  has  a  station  at  Jan  Mayer  Island;  France  one  at 
Spitzbergen.  Sweden  and  Norway  also  one  at  Spitzbergen,  and  one  at 
Altengaard,  in  Finnmark;  and  Russia,  one  at  Nova  Zembla.  These 
five,  together  with  Hovgaard's  movable  station,  in  the  region  of  Franz- 
Josef  Land,  cover  eighty  degrees  of  longitude,  and  constitute  the  European 
division. 

Russia  has  her  chief  station  on  the  Lena  Delta,  under  Nicholas  Jur- 
gens,  an  officer  of  the  corps  of  pilots,  with  Doctor  Bangs,  Mathematician 
and  Engineer,  nine  soldiers,  and  two  Cronstadt  marines,  besides  such 
additional  help  as  they  may  need,  to  be  supplied  by  the  government  of 
Eastern  Siberia.  The  Netherlands  have  one  at  Port  Dickson,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Yenisei ;  and  a  movable  one,  the  steamer  William  Barenz, 
under  Lieut.  Hofman,  who  is  under  orders  to  make  a  prolonged  cruise 
for  purposes  of  meteorological  and  other  scientific  observations,  in  the  Arc- 
tic Ocean.  Germany  has  one  station  in  the  North  Pacific.  These  four 
constitute  the  Asiatic  division,  and  cover  very  inadequately  the  remaining 
180  degrees,  or  as  much  as  the  other  ten.  Germany  has  a  second  station 
on  the  Gulf  of  Georgia,  but  this  of  course  is  in  no  proper  sense  a  Polar 
station. 


I N  DRX. 


,  Page. 

Absurd,  the  answer  of  ignorance 21 

Admiralty,  action  of,  in  regard  to  Franklin.... 381 
"  strike  the  name  of    Franklin    and 

men  from  navy  list 437 

Advance,  the,  in  command  of  De  Haven 441 

"  "     "         "          "   Kane 489 

Adverse  circumstances,  rising  above     196 

Alaska,  the  Jeannette  at 753 

Alert,  the 674 

Allen,  Capt.  of  the  Ravenscraig 657 

Alliance,  the 801 

Aleutian  Islands 222 

Alexai 753 

Alexander,  the 102 

Ambler,  J.  M.  surgeon  of  the  Jeannette  crew..  748 

America,  incidentally  discovered   27 

"         discovery  of,  by  Columbus 30 

"         results  of  discovery 32 

"         North  discovered 27 

"       re-discovered 35 

"         French  voyages  to 39 

Ancients,  ideas  of,  concerning  the  North     ....    19 

Andrejew         221 

Aninj  River,  the 250 

Anjou 254 

Annual  oil  boat 531 

Ansel  Gibbs,  the 554 

Archangel,  voyages  prosecuted  from 136 

Arctic  voyages,  interval  in 105 

"      seas,nrst  knowledge 19 

"      voyages,  early 71 

"  '"  first  English         .. .  71 

"      Ocean,  Siberian,  explored 120,  125 

"      wintering  in  the...  62,  77,  92,  97,  501,  et.  al 

"      overland  expedition 139,  150,  208 

"  Argo,  the  Greek  ship 20 

Arouncfthe  world,  first  voyage 38 

Asia,  notions  about  the  north  coast  of 42 

Atmosphere,  refraction  of 55? 

Auk,  the  home  of 448 

Auroral  displays 725 

Austin,  Capt.,  commands  search  squadron 409 

Austro- Hungarian  expedition 659 

Avatch-.i  Bay 136 

Back,  Lieut.,  with  Franklin 197 

"      voyage  in  the  Terror     353 

"      overland  expedition 516 

Baffin,  William,  voyages  of 84 

"       Arctjc  voyages  of 86 

"       discovers  Baffin's  B.iy 87 

"       scientific  observations  of 88 

Banks'  Lan.l -  "429 

Baranicha  River 249  et.  seq. 

Baranow  Rock 235 

Barentz,  William,  voyages  of 59 

"          reaches  Nova  Zembla 59 

"          locked  in  the  ice oo 

"          in  winter  quarters 6a 

"          death  and  burial  of  64 

Barrow  Straits 333,  377,  4*3 

Bears,  attacked  by 248 

"      destructive  tendency  of 508 

JJeechey,  Capt.,  in  search  of  Northwest  Pass- 
»ge.,, ,  MUM. i  •  until ,..,,,--, 3'4 


Page. 

Beechey  Island 452  et.  al. 

Behring,  voyages  of 12? 

"          discovers  Behring's  Strait 128 

Belcher,  Sir  Edward,  in  command  of  fleet (27 

"        abandons  five  ships ---433 

Bellot,  Rene 412 

Bennet,  Steven,  voyage  of 71 

Bennett,  James   Gordon,   purchases  the    Pan- 
dora       747 

Bennett  fits  out  Jeannette  Expedition 748 

Bessel,  Dr.  Emil,  in  Polaris 642 

Bienenkorb,  the  ship   631 

Block,  Adriaen,  voyage  of 90 

Bloody  Falls,  on  the  Coppermine 394 

Booth.  Sir  Felix,  fits  out  Ross  331 

Buchan    in  Dorothea  and  Trent 161 

Buddington,  Capt.  Sidney  O.,  with  Hall 548 

Burial  at  sea 550 

Burroughs,  Stephen,  voyage  of 42 

Butterflies,  hunting 365 

Button,  Sir  Thomas,  voyage  of 83 

Bylot,  voyage  of 86 

Cabots,  voyages  of 55 

Cabots,   Sebastian,  theory  of  Northeast  Pas- 
sage    40 

Cabot^,  second  voyage  of  „ 37 

Cannibalisrr 
Carthaee,  f< 


Cannibalism,  supposed,  of  Franklin's  crew  .  .  .440 
founded . 


Cartier,  Jacques,  voyages  of 39 

Cator,  Lieut.,  in  Franklin  search..   .     436 

Cavendish.  Thomas,  voyage 51 

Chancellor,  voyage  of 40 

Charlemagne's  Franks  resist  the  Norsemen.. .  24 

Chippewyan,  Fort 204 

Chipp,  L'ieut.,  Chas.  W.  with  Jeannette 748 

Christian,  Hans,  with  Kane 491 

"  "         with  Haves 607 

"  "        with  Hall 643 

Christmas  in  the  Arctic 666,  "jt» 

Church  in  Greenland 478 

Clavering,  with  Sabine,  explores  east  coast  of 

Greenland  306 

Clavering  Island 632 

Clerke,  Capt.,  takes  command  of  Cook's  ship..  148 

Coal,  on  Kuhn  Island 635 

'•      discovered  by  Hall 580 

Cole,  William,  with  Jeannette 748 

Cold,  intense,  pole  of  greatest 489 

Collins,  J  J.   in  Jeannette  party 748 

Collinson,  Capt.,  in  the  Enterprise 415 

Colonies,  English,  in  America 76,  1^3 

Colonization  voyages 93 

Columbus,  voyages  of 30 

Comments  on  "Arctic  navigation   739,  740 

Compasses,  affected  by  iron  in  ship 476 

Congress,  .iction  of,  regarding  Franklin  search^  i 

Constitution,  Cape 511 

Coppermine  River  208 

Corneliszoon,  Cornelius  voyage  of  58 

Cortereal  Caspar,  voyages  of 30 

Corwin,  the,  in  search  of  the  Jeannette 775 

Crozier,  Capt.,  record  left  by 540 

Daly,  Judge,  furthers  Sch watka's  voyage. . 
P4rjenb.pwer,  L.ieut,,  Joh.n.  W,   ... ,, 


888 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Danes,  voyages  of  91,  151 

Danish  hospitality 532 

Davis,  Capt.  John 52 

"       arrives  in  Greenland 53 

"       importance  of  his  voyages 54 

Dease,  overland  journey  of         360 

De   Haven,  Lieut.  E.  J.   in  command  of  first 

Grinnell  Expedition 441 

De  Haven,  report  to  Secretary  of  Navy 471 

De  Long,  Lieut.  Geo.  W.  in  command  of  Jean- 

nette  Expedition 748 

De  Long,  diary  of S 1 6 

"  death  of 823 

"  found  and  buried  by  Melville 829 

"  grave  of     829 

Deshnie v,  the  Cossack 121 

De  Veer,  Gerritt,  with  Barentz 60 

"  becomes  historian  of  voyage 60 

Devil's  Nip,  De  Haven's  crew  escapes  from... 469 

"        Thumb 468 

Discovery,  the  ship 674 

Discipline,  Kane  compels 526 

"Docto  Kayens" 529 

Dogs,  Esquimaux 257,  524,  499,  762 

Drake,  Sir  Francis,  voyage  of 5° 

Drift  of  the  pack,  .vith'McClintock 536 

"         "  "       with  De  Haven 456 

"         "  "       with  Tvson 653 

'          "  "      with  \Vevprecht 6^4 

"         "  "       with  De  Long 760 

Ducks,  eider 514 

Ebierbing,  Joseph,  with  Hall 560 

"  "          with  Schwatka 088 

Eggs,  feast  on 530 

Eira,  voyage  of  in  search  of  Jeannette Soo 

Elberg, 'Governor 551 

English,  Arctic  voyages  of  161,  5^6,  674 

Enterprise,  voyage  of  the 415 

"  Fort 209 

"          of  Muscovv  Company 40 

Eothen  the,  voyage  of 687 

Erebus  and  Terror,  voyage  of 376 

Eric  the  Red   27 

Ericksen,  sufferings  and  death  of 819 

Esquimaux     ?....  193,  274,  386,  529,  555 

Ewerat,  a  sorceror 277 

Exile,  hospitality  of , 822 

Expedient,  a  novel 402 

Expeditions,  Arctic,  early 7  ,  158 

"  first  of  nineteenth  century. ..  159,  370 

"  Franklin  search .....373,5% 

"  Recent  5S~>,  736 

Fanny  A.  Hyde 762 

Fiords,  of  Greenland 634 

Fiskernaes 478 

Fotherbv,  Robert,  vtvyage  of 86 

Fox,  Luke,  voyage  or 95 

Fox,  McClintock  s  voyage  in  the 534 

Franklin,  Sir  John,  biography  of 196 

"        first  voyage  of,  to  Arctic  regions 198 

"         second 288 

last 374 

search  for 371-5?^ 

"        record  of  death 540 

"        name  stricken  from  navy  list     437 

"         relics  of 439 

"        Lady,  devotion  of 438 

Franks  resist  Northmen 24 

Frederichstahl,  Hansa  crew  arrive  at 630 

Frobisher,  Sir  Martin,  voyages  of 43 

"        his  alleged  gold 45 

"         his  hopes  destroyed 46 

Fury  and  Hecla,  voyage  of 266 

"      "         Strait 281 

Geographical  Society,  Kane  addresses 489 

George  Henry,  the  whaler 546 

Georgiana,  the  brig • 559 

Germania,  the  ship,  voyage  of 631 

"          returns  home 639 


Page. 

German  Polar  expedition 623 

Gibbons,  Capt.,  voyage  of 8ft 

Gilbert,  Sir  Humphrey,  voyage  of 47 

"         "  takes     possession      of 

Newfoundland 47 

Gilder,  with  Schwatka 688 

Gillam,  Nathaniel,  voyage  of 112 

Glaciers 498,  600,  582 

Gold,  Frobisher's  load  of 45 

Gotthaab,  colony  founded 151 

Graah,  observations  of 629 

Grave  of  Franklin's  men  453 

"  Hall 647 

"      .  "  Lieut.,  Irving  discovered 690 

"         "  De  Long  and  party 829 

Great  Fish  River 348 

Greenland,  early  settlement  of 19,  27 

"          black  death  in 211 

"          piety 478 

Grinnell,  Henry,  benevolence  of 441 

"         expedition,  first  443 

"         expedition,  second 489 

"        expedition,  third 545 

"         Land,  discovered 471 

"         otherwise  named  by  British.  ..472 

Guides,  procuring .205 

Gulf   Stream,    influence   on    waters    of    Nova 

Zembla 661 

Gulnare,  cruise  of  the 780 

Hall,  James,  voyage  of  . .       84 

"      Chas-.  Francis,  receives  "call" 545 

"     sails  in  George  Henry 547 

"     returns  from  first  voyage  586 

"     second  voyage  of 640 

"     third  voyage  of 642 

"  "     sickness' and  death  of 646 

Hammerfest,  description  of  town 306 

Hansa,  voyage  of  German  ship 626 

"         wreck  of 628 

Hartstene,  Lieut. ,  in  search  of  Kane   53 1 

Hawkins,  Sir  John,  voyage  of  49 

Hayes,  Dr.  I.  I.,  with  "Kane   508 

"          in  steamer  United  States 589 

"  "          baffled  by  Smith's  Sound 614 

"  '•         death  of 622 

Hearne,  Samuel,  sails  bv  Hudson   Bay 139 

Hecla  and  Fury  Straits. /..... 281 


Herjulf son,  Biarne 27 

Herodotus'  account  of  Hyperboreans 19 

Hesperis,  noticed  by  Kane 498 

Hobson,  Lieut.,  discovers  record  of  Crozier. .   538 

Holsteinborg 552,  474 

Hood,  with  Franklin 197 

"         murdered  by  Indian  guide 218 

Horn,  Cape,  first  voyage  around 90 

Hudson  Bay  discovered 77 

' '       Henry,  voyages  of .... 74 

"  "    "     attempts  North  Pole  route. ...   74 

"        discovers  Manhattai:  Island. ..   75 

"  "         mutiny  of  his  men So 

Humboldt  Glacier " 507,611 

Hunger,  exhaustion  from 216,  817 

Huts  of  Esquimaux 173 

lakoutsk 229,  2fo 

Ice,  nipped  in 354,  405,  455,  53^,  768 

"     rapid  motion  of. 


"     Sea  of  ancient 677 

"Palaeocrvstic 684 

Icebergs,  their  source 508 

"         forms  of  662 

"         first  seen 199.549 

blink 662 

"          floe 444 

"          field 627,  651 

Iceland,  discovered   and  colonized  by  Norse- 
men    26 

Iceland,  perhaps  discovered  by  Pytheas ai 

"          self-governing 26 

black  death  in 26 


INDEX. 


839 


Page. 

Idols,  of  Samoyeds -jo\ 

Igloo        i;  1 7 

Iglooklik  Island 279 

iligliuk,  intelligence  of 279 

Illusions  Arctic 553 

India,  which  way  to?         . . .  v no 

Inglefield,  Commander  E.  A.,  voyage  of 473 

Innuits,  see  Esquimaux 

Instructions,  official 382,  307,  490,  443 

Intrepid,  H.  M.  S.  voyage  of 409 

Irkoutsk 229,260 

Irving,  Lieut,  in  Franklin's  last  voyage 376 

"         grave  of ; 689 

Isabella,  the  steamer 473 

"          Cape 619 

Jakuts 229,  2-0 

James,  Thos.,  voyage  of 95 

"        discovers  James' Bay 97 

J:in  Mayen  Island '. 626 

Jeannette,  the,  fitted  out  by  Mr.  Bennett 748 

"  leaves  San  Francisco  Bay  750 

"  arrives  at  Ounalaska. ..  ' 773 

"  enters  the  Arctic 706 

"  beset 76S 

"  sinking  of       790 

"  relief  expeditions 766,780 

Jones'  Sound,  explored  by  Inglefield 480 

Kamchatka,  subjugation  of 121 

ivane,  Dr.  E.  K.,  biography  of 482 

"      with  De  Haven 441 

"      receives  soubriquet  of  "Mad  Yankee"     .4x1 
"      commands  Second  Grinnell  Expedition.  490 

"      great  buoyancy  and  moral  power  of 509 

"      decides  to  abandon  the  Advance 527 

"      arrives  at  Upernavik ^32 

"      last  sickness  and  death 535 

"      results  of  voyage 532 

Kara  Sea  704 

Kayak,  description  of ...    .591 

ivellett,  in  Franklin  search 408 

"        discovers  Wrangell  Land 409 

Kendall,  Lieut.,  voyage  of,  to  the  Coppermine  295 

Kennedy  Channel 510 

Kingaite 576 

King  William's  Land 538 

Knight,  John,  murdered  by  natives 73 

Kolde  wey ,  Capt.  Carl ,  eulogy  on ....  624 

"  commands  German  Expedition  .   ..624 

Kolyma  River 229,  2'x) 

Kolymsk  Nishni 129,  260 

"          Wrangell's  visit  to 232 

Kuehne  with  Jeannette  crew 748 

Labrador,  discovery  of 27 

"          voyages  along  the  coast  of 43,  40 

Lamps  of  Esquimaux 561 

Lancaster  Sound 166,  409 

La  Plata,  voyage  to 38 

Laptew  Brothers 220 

Latitude  reached  by  Parry  189 

"    Kane 498 

"  "  "   Polaris 643 

"  "   Nares 684 

Lawrence,  St.  Bay  of 755 

Lena  River,  ascent  of .716 

"         "        Wrangell's  journey  down 231 

"         "        De  Long's  attempted  journey  to.. 803 

Lichen,  tnpe-de-roche 216 

Lotila,  the  ship 778 

Lyon,  Capt  ,  prayer  for  help 312 

Lvchius 498 

MacKenzie,  Alexander 150 

River,  descent  of 1,1 

McClintock  Sir  Leopold 534 

"          in  Belcher's  fleet 400 

11  in  command  of  Fox 535 

"  drift  down  Baffin's  Bay 551 

"  on  King  Williams  Land 538 

"  finds  relics  of  Franklin 539 

(<          results  of  voyage 544 


Page. 

McClure,  Capt.  Robert  L 415 

"  in  command  of  Investigator 410 

"  alone  in  the  Arctic 417 

"  predicts  a  Xorthwest  Passage 421 

"  in  search  for 429 

"  abandons  Investigator.  ...'•" 450 

Magicians 708 

Magellan,  Ferdinand 38 

"  discovers  Magellan  Straits 38 

Magnetic  Island 203 

"  Pole  discovered 338 

Magnetism,  observations  on 379,  544 

Mahue,  James,  voyage  of 68 

Mariners' Enterprise,  English 71 

Markham  reaches  high  latitude 684 

Matinschkin 229,  ifx> 

Matotschkin,  Schar. 229,  260 

Melville  Bay 440,  468 

"        Geo.  \V.,  engineer  of  Jeannette 748 

"  "      "      finds  De  I-ong  and  crew..  .826 

"  "      "      official  examination  of 832 

Mevers,  Fred,  narrow  escape  of 650 

Middendorf  in  Taimurland 304 

"  saved  by  a  Samoyed  chief 369 

Mock  Suns 61 

Morton,  William,  discovers  a   supposed  open 

sea 510 

Munk,  lens,  vovage  of ...  . .  01 


Muscovy  Company,  enterprise  of ....  .        . 

Mussel  "Bay ". 325 

Nares,  Sir  Geo.,  Arctic  journey  of 674 

"       reaches  high  latitude 683 

"        conclusions  regarding  the  Pole 685 ' 

Newcomb,  Raymond  I.,  in  Jeannette 748 

Newfoundland  colonized  by  Gilbert 47 

Newspapers,  Arctic 183,  56,1 

Nipped  in  ice 354,  405,  45^,  536,  768 

Nishni  Kolymsk 229,  abo 

Nomenclature,  Arctic. 


Nordenskiold,  Prof.  A.  E 692 

"              preparation  of,    for  Arctic  ex- 
ploration   696 

Nordenskiold  sails  in  the  Vega 701 

"  accomplishes  Northeast  Passage7i3 

"  receives  ovations 731 

"  results  of  voyage 736 

"  Noros,  sent  out  with  NindermanSiu 

Norsemen,  origin  of 33 

"  sea-life  of 33 

Norse  viking,  significance  of  name 24 

"        chief  pursuits  of 2} 

Northeast  Passage,  Dutch  attempts  to  find-7i,  150 

North  Pole,  attempts  to  reach        321,  674,  737,  835 

"          "       Commander    Cheync's   plan   for 

reaching 833 

Northmen,  see  Norsemen 

Northwest  Passage,  earlv  attempts  to  find.. 40,  46 

"  "          M'Clure  discovers 421 

«  "  supposed     discovery     bv 

Franklin '.37^ 

Northumberland  Inlet 558 

Nova  Zembla,  Barentz"  voyage  to 64 

"  "         Weyprecht  and  Paver  sail  by... 66* 

"  "         seas,    influence     of    the     Gulf 

Stream  on 66* 

Observations,    scientific   of    Arctic    explorers 

443,  544.  489 

Ommaney,  Capt.,  in  Franklin  search 409 

"                 "      discovers  first  relics  of  Frank- 
lin  45' 

Onman  Cape,  reached  by  the  Vega     718 

Ook-gook,  weight  of 572 

Oomiak 293 

Open  Sea,  supposed  discovery  of 510 

Orange  Islands,  Barentz'  visit  to 64 

Osborn,    Lieut.   Shcrrard,  in  Pioneer  and  In- 
trepid  434 

Ounalaska 75$ 

Pains  of  hunger  and  cold 304 


840 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Parry,  Capt.  William  Edward 162 

"        first  voyage  of 168 

"        enters  Arctic  circle 170 

"        trials  and  pastimes  of,  in  winter 176 

"        describes  native  dress  and  manners iq.j 

"        second  voyage  of 260 

"        in  winter  quarters   271 

"         third  expedition 296 

Passage,  Northwest,  discgvered 421,378 

"        Northeast,  accomplished 713 

Payer,  Lieut.,  \vith  Ivoldewey 034 

"         mTegetthoff 659 

"        beset  in  pack 664 

"         discovers  Franz-Josef's  Land 668 

Peabodv,  Geo.,  benevolence  of 490 

Peel's  Strait 377 

Pendulum  experiments 309 

Penny,  Capt. ,  in  Franklin  search 409 

Petermann,  Dr.,  agency  in  Arctic  investigation623 

Petropaulovsky 229,  260 

Phipps,  voyage  of 141 

Pirn,  Lieut 430 

Pole,  Magnetic,  discovered 338 

Plover,  British  steamer 408 

Pole  of  greatest  cold 489 

Polaris,  voyage  and  wreck  of 640,  658 

Pond  Bay 406 

Poole,  Jonas,  voyage  of 82 

Portuguese,  voyages  of 29 

Prayer  of  Lyon  for  help ; . .      .312 

Prontschischtsctiew 229,  260 

Pullen,  Lieut  ,  boat  journey  of 409 

Pylheas  of  Marseilles 20 

Rae,  Dr  John 382 

"    joins  Richardson  in  search  party 383 

"     attempts  to  reach  Wollaston  Land 391 

"     discovers  relics  of  Franklin 438 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  voyages  of 54 

Ravenscraig .657 

Becords,  manner  of  preserving 639 

Refraction,  effects  of 558 

Reindeer,  travel  planned  by  Parry 322 

Reikiavik Soi 

Reliance,  Fort 350 

Relics  of  Franklin ^38,  540 

"          "  Frobisher JC9 

Rensselaer  Harbor 499 

Repulse  Bay 313 

Rescue,  as  escort  for  the  Geo.  Henry 

"        in  first  Grinnell  Expedition 

Richardson,  Dr. ,  with  Franklin 

"  in  search  of  Franklin 

"  his  adventure  with  wohes.. 

Rijp,  John  C 60 

Rodgers,  the  voyage  of 79° 

"  burning  of 797 

Ross,  Sir  John,  voyage  in  Isabella 161 

"      alleged    discovery    of  Croker's    Moun- 
tains   1 6:5 

"      second  voyage  of  in  Felix 331 

"       in  Franklin  search 409 

Ross, James  C.,  discovers  magnetic  Pole    ....338 

"       search  for  Franklin 397 

Russian  Explorations 229,  260 

Sabine,  Edward,  experiments  of 306 

"          Island         635 

Sailors,  mutiny  and  desertion  of 526 

Samoyeds ^4,  370,  700,  719 

Samoyed  chief  saves  Middendorf 369 

Scenery,  Arctic, 662 

Schalarow,  journeys  in  Siberia 221 

"  failure  and  death 221 

Schelagskoi  Cape 237 

Schwatka,  Lieut.,  voyage  of 687 

"        discovers  grave  of  Irving 689 

Scoresby,  Dr.  William 153 


....442 

....197 

....38; 

.214 


Page. 

Scoresby,  voyage  of,  to  Greenland  155 

William  Jr  ,  begins  seafaring  life . ;. .154 

voyage  of,  to  Spitsbergen 157 

publishes  account  of  voyages 155 

Separation  of  Polaris  from  floe. ..  ..  648 


of  Jeannette  boat-parties. 814 

Siberia,  explorations  in 229,  2^0,  36},  370 

Simpson,  journey  with  Dease 31:0 

Sledges,  Arctic 23  j,  257,  32 1 

Smith,  Leigh,  voyage  in  Eira   779 

Smith  Sound 


.492 

Snorn j^, 228 

Snow,  Mr.  YVjritL 451 

Snow,  phenoin^Bn  of  red 105 

Sofia,  the  ship  .^W. 692 

Spanish  voyages . 


Sonntag,  loss  of 607 

Spitsbergen 157 

Steller,  voyage  of,  with  Behring 129 

Sviatoi-noss 717 

Swayne,  Capt I  7 

Sweden,  in  Arctic  voyages 691 

Tadibes 708 

Taimur  River 364 

Taimur  Land 364 

"  "  good-byeto 368 

Tchuktchis,  habits  of 241 

dance 242 

"  visits  from  240 

Tegetthoff,  the  661 

"  abandoned .  I.  ...671 

Tennyson's  Monument 508 

Tessuisak,  harbor  of 643 

Terror,  in  command  of  Back 35; 

"  nipped  in  the  ice 354 

"  in  command  of  Franklin 376 

Thermometers,  sensitiveness  of .....' 499 

Thule,  of  Pytheas 21 

Tookoplito 582 

Trees  in  Siberia 703 

Tundras 257,  265 

Tungusi 364 

Tvson,  Cant.  Geo.  E 647,  658 

Unique,  Island,  a  . 228 

United  States  in  Franklin  search 441 

"  "  in  command  of  Hayes 590 

Unprecedented  drift,  an 456 

Upernavik 479,  532 


Vaigats  Sound 59 

Van  Noort,  Oliver,  voyage  of 66,  63 

"      attacked  by  Patagonians 07 

"  "      battle  with  Spaniards 67 

Vegetation  of  Arctic  regions 448,  498,  703 

Vega,  the,  voyage  of ^9'i  73'' 

Victoria  Strait 336 

Victoria,  first  steamship  in  Arctic  seas 332 

"         abandoned 340 

Vikings 22 

Von  Wrangell,  see  Wrangell 

Voyage,  first  search  for  lost  explorer 83 

Walruses,  encounter  with 639 

Weert,  Sebald  de,  voyage  of 68 

Wellington  Channel." 453,  416 

Weymouth,  voyages  of,  to  Hudson's  Bay 71 

Weyprecht,  in  command  of  Austro-  Hungarian 

Expedition 659 

WhaleSound 621 

Whale,  stranded 133 

Willoughby,  Sir  Hugh 40 

Winter  quarters 175,  20,  350,  501 

Wood,  John 115,  116 

Wrangell.  Baron  von 229,  260 

Yenesei,  descent  of  the 364 

Young,  Capt.  Allen 741 

Zembla,  Nova 64 

Zeni  Brothers 27 


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